Trump needs ‘off-ramp’ from war says Pope in Easter peace plea

‘Come back to the table, to dialogue. Let’s look for solutions to problems, let’s look for ways to reduce the amount of violence, that peace – especially at Easter – might reign in our hearts.’

US President Donald Trump should seek an “off-ramp” to the war with Iran, Pope Leo said.

“I’m told President Trump recently stated that he would like to end the war,” the Pope told reporters outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo on Tuesday.

“Hopefully he’s looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence, of bombing, which would be a significant contribution to removing the hatred that’s being created and that’s increasing constantly in the Middle East and elsewhere.”

Trump said on Tuesday that the war would end “very soon”, suggesting that US forces could cease operations in the region within three weeks.

Pope Leo urged world leaders: “Come back to the table, to dialogue. Let’s look for solutions to problems, let’s look for ways to reduce the amount of violence that we’re promoting, that peace – especially at Easter – might reign in our hearts.”

He said that Easter “should be the holiest, most sacred time of the year … but as we all know, once again in the world, in so many places, we are seeing so much suffering, so many deaths, even innocent children”.

“We make continuous appeals for peace, but unfortunately many people want to promote hatred and violence, war,” he said.

Leo urged Christians to “live these days recognising that Christ is still crucified today, that Christ still suffers today in the innocent, especially those who are suffering from violence, hatred and war”.

He said his decision to carry the Cross himself for the Via Crucis in the Colosseum on Good Friday was “an important sign because of what the Pope represents: a spiritual leader in today’s world, a voice saying that Christ still suffers”.

On Monday evening, the Archbishop of Tehran Cardinal Dominique Mathieu prayed for an end to war during a vigil in Rome’s Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. He was evacuated from the Iranian capital on 8 March, a week after the first US and Israeli strikes.

“Never again war, an adventure with no return,” he said. “Never again war, a spiral of mourning and violence.”

His prayer continued: “Stop the logic of retaliation and revenge and through your Spirit suggest new solutions, generous and honourable gestures, spaces for dialogue and patient waiting, more fruitful than the rushed deadlines of war.”

Pope Leo: Christians demand ceasefire and dialogue in the Middle East

War in Iran – can Israel be saved from itself?

Stay updated — add us as a preferred news source on Google: