Pope Leo XIV lamented on Sunday that “the winds of war are blowing again in the Middle East, in Ukraine” and in numerous other regions of the world, “sowing violence, terror and death, and striking once again so many innocent people.”After reciting the Angelus prayer from the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, where he is spending a few days on vacation, the Pope urged political leaders to resume dialogue and choose diplomatic means to stop the escalation of conflicts.“Let us not allow these winds to extinguish the small flame of hope and peace, even when it seems fragile and wavering,” he said.He also reiterated his call to persevere along the path of dialogue, encounter, and diplomacy, describing it as the only path capable of leading to a just and lasting peace.
A peace in which peoples can live reconciled, with mutual security and in respect for the dignity of every person.Rising tensions in the Middle EastThe Pope’s words come amid rising international tension. The United States and Iran have once again become embroiled in a dangerous spiral of attacks. Washington launched new airstrikes against Iranian territory following the Revolutionary Guard’s attack on a Cypriot-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz and the subsequent declaration of the closure of this strategic maritime route.This is the third clash between the two countries in that area this week.
The deterioration of the situation threatens to derail the peace agreement that both countries had committed to negotiating over a period of 60 days.Remembering the workers of the seaIn this context, the Pope also recalled that July 12 is Sea Sunday, a day dedicated in a special way to those who work in the maritime field.Therefore, he turned his thoughts to the sailors, fishermen, and port workers of the world who, “marked by the distance from their loved ones and, at times, by the fear caused by conflicts affecting maritime routes, sustain with patient and silent work the trade and life of numerous peoples.”