The Pope again calls for peace in the Holy Land and Ukraine: “God does not want war”

Vatican City.- Pope Leo XIV made a new appeal this Sunday for peace to be reached in the Holy Land and Ukraine and reminded the rulers: “That the apparent victories achieved with weapons sowing death and destruction are in reality defeats and never bring peace or security. God does not want war. God wants peace”. Leo XIV made this appeal at the end of the canonization ceremony of the young Italians Pier Giorgio Frasatti and Carlos Acutis before nearly 80,000 people who gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

Read more: Pope Leo XIV to visit Turkey on his first international trip

“We entrust our constant prayer for peace to the intercession of the saints and the Virgin Mary, especially in the Holy Land and in Ukraine and in any other lands bloodied by wars,” said the Pope before the Angelus prayer.

And then he urged the rulers to “listen with awareness that the apparent victories achieved with weapons sowing death and destruction are in reality defeats and never bring peace or security. God does not want war. God wants peace.”

“And God supports those who commit to breaking out of the spiral of hatred and following the path of dialogue,” he added.

Recently, the Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, reiterated his concern about the situation in Gaza and recalled that in the parish that has housed hundreds of people since the outbreak of hostilities “there are many people with disabilities who cannot be moved elsewhere, so we hope that those who have decided to stay there and have no other option will be respected. And that this call to respect and protect them be heeded”:

While on the situation in Ukraine, Parolin stressed that “the position of the Holy See is that a dialogue should begin”.