Pope Leo XIV today appealed for peace and reconciliation in four countries of the Middle East—Israel, Iran, Palestine and Syria—that have experienced tremendous violence in recent days.
He did so at the end of the public audience in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, June 25, when he addressed thousands of pilgrims from all continents.
He began by recalling the “heinous terrorist attack” that was “carried out against the Greek Orthodox community in the Church of Mar Elias in Damascus,” the capital of Syria, last Sunday, June 22, by a suicide bomber that killed 25 people and injured 63 others.
The Syrian Interior Ministry said that one gunman entered the church and fired at the people there before detonating an explosive vest, echoing witness testimonies. The attack on the church was the first of its kind in Syria in years, and comes as Damascus, under de facto Islamist rule, is trying to win the support of minorities. As President Ahmed al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority across Syria, there have been concerns about the presence of sleeper cells of extremist groups in the war-torn country. On Tuesday, the interior ministry said the Islamic State was behind the attack, though the group did not immediately take responsibility.
Aware of the deep concern this new act of violence has caused among Christians in this part of the world, the Augustinian pope offered these words of assurance: “I say to the Christians of the Middle East: I am close to you! The whole church is close to you!” It is a difficult moment for Christians in Syria, where, before the civil war in 2011, there were 1.5 million Christians (10 percent of the population). Today, their number has decreased to 300,000, or 2 percent of the population.
Speaking of the attack on the church in Damascus, Pope Leo said, “This tragic event recalls the profound fragility that Syria still faces after years of conflict and instability.” The country has only recently emerged from a civil war that started in 2011 and was brought to an end by the collapse of the regime of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Anxious to avoid further violence in that country as it tries to recover from the war, Pope Leo said, “It is therefore essential that the international community not ignore this country but continue to offer support through gestures of solidarity and a renewed commitment to peace and reconciliation.”
In a statement on June 23, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, and the Muslim Council of Elders “strongly condemned” the attack in Syria. The council “rejected such terrorist acts, which stand in complete contradiction to the righteous teachings of Islam, all divinely revealed religions, international laws and norms, and universally shared moral and humanitarian values.”
The grand imam, who had a close relationship with Pope Francis, is considered by most Muslims to be the highest authority in Sunni Islamic thought and Islamic jurisprudence. Sunnis account for more than 80 percent of the world’s Muslims.
“[T]argeting places of worship constitutes a blatant violation of the sanctity of life and sacred sites, and is a crime that cannot be justified under any pretext,” the statement continued.
Pope Leo then turned his attention to the Israel-Iran war that was the epicenter of the violence in the Middle East in recent days and threatened to plunge the region into a more devastating conflict before U.S. President Donald Trump yesterday succeeded in convincing both sides to agree to a ceasefire. As the ceasefire enters its second day, however, a definitive peace agreement has yet to be reached.
“We continue to follow carefully and with hope the developments in Iran, Israel and Palestine,” the pope said, referring above all to the ceasefire in the 12-day war between Israel and Iran. But his reference to Palestine seemed to allude to the fact that discussions appear to be underway to end the 628-day war in Gaza, where more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 20,000 children, in a conflict that has spread also to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank.
Pope Leo went on to recall the words of the prophet Isaiah, which he said “resound with urgent relevance” today: “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Is 2:4).
“May this voice, which comes from the Most High, be heard!”
He concluded his fifth appeal concerning the Israel-Iran conflict with words that appeared to be addressed especially to the leaders of both countries: “May the wounds caused by the bloody actions of recent days be healed. Let us reject arrogance and revenge, and instead resolutely choose the path of dialogue, diplomacy and peace.”
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
