After the Sunday Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square, Pope Leo XIV turned his thoughts to the Middle East, from which, he said, "news continues to arrive causing deep concern," Vatican News reports.

Speaking before approximately fifteen thousand pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Pope mentioned "violence and destruction" and a "widespread atmosphere of hatred and fear" in Iran and across the region.

He also expressed concern that the conflict could cause neighboring countries, such as "beloved Lebanon" to once again "sink into the abyss of instability."

The Pope called on his listeners to pray that "bombs stop thundering, weapons fall silent, and space opens for dialogue in which the voice of peoples can be heard."