Pope Leo denounced President Trump’s threat “against all the people of Iran” as “truly unacceptable” when he spoke to journalists first in Italian and then in English this evening, April 7, at Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence where Leo often spends his Tuesdays. Mr. Trump warned that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” unless Iran reaches a deal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

In English, he called on the citizens of the countries involved “to contact the authorities, political leaders, congressmen—to ask them, tell them, to work for peace and to reject war always.”

“There are certainly questions of international law [here],” he said in Italian, “but [there is] much more. It is a moral question for the good of the entire people.” His words were reported by ANSA, the Italian news agency.

In words that would seem to be addressed to decision-makers in the U.S. administration (though he did not name them explicitly) and whoever has power to influence them, Pope Leo said: 

I would like to invite everyone to think in their hearts of so many innocents, so many children, so many elderly, totally innocent, who would also be victims of this escalation of a war that has already begun and, which from the first days, we said, “Let us return to dialogue, to negotiation, let us try to resolve these problems.” 

He added: “We have to pray a lot. I invite everyone to pray but also to say to their political leaders, to the authorities, we do not want war, let us work for peace. We are a people who love peace.”

In English, he said:

I would simply say once again what I said in the “Urbi et Orbi” message on Sunday, asking all people of goodwill to search always for peace and not violence. To reject war, especially a war which many people have said is an unjust war, which is continuing to escalate and which is not resolving anything. In fact, we have a worldwide economic crisis, an energy crisis, a situation in the Middle East of great instability, which is only provoking more hatred throughout the world.

He urged the political leaders of all sides involved—the United States, Israel and Iran—“come back to the table, let’s talk, let’s look for solutions in a peaceful way. And let’s remember especially the innocent—children, the elderly, the sick, so many people who have already become or will become victims of this continued warfare. To remind all that attacks on civilian infrastructure is against international law, but that it is also a sign of the hatred, the division, the destruction the human being is capable of. We all want to work for peace.” 

In response to President Trump’s threat earlier today that “a whole civilization will die tonight”—which the pope said “we all know about”—the Vatican this afternoon signaled that the pope might speak to journalists this evening.

[The Editors: Trump threatened Iran’s ‘whole civilization.’ That’s a war crime—not a just war.]

Gerard O’Connell is America’s senior Vatican correspondent and author of The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Story of the Conclave That Changed History. He has been covering the Vatican since 1985.