Pope Leo XIV Welcomes Ceasefire in the Middle East

JAKARTA - The Supreme Leader of the Catholic Church in the World, Pope Leo XIV, on Wednesday welcomed a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, urging all parties to engage in dialogue to end the conflict.

Pope Leo X said he received the news "with satisfaction and as a sign of deep hope."

"Only through a return to the negotiating table can we end the war," Pope Leo XIV explained, launching Anadolu (8/4).

Furthermore, Pope Leo XIV asked the faithful to accompany this complex diplomatic period with prayer "in the hope that the willingness to engage in dialogue may become a means of resolving other situations of conflict throughout the world."

On Tuesday, Pope Leo XIV condemned US President Donald Trump's threats against Iran, calling them "absolutely unacceptable."

Before the announcement of the ceasefire, President Trump wrote "all civilization will die tonight" on his Truth Social platform.

"Of course there is an international legal problem here, but more than that, this is a moral question about the good of the whole people, as a whole," Pope Leo XOV told reporters Tuesday night.

President Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran hours later, saying Tehran had put forward a 10-point proposal that was "workable" for negotiations.

The announcement came less than two hours before the expiration of a deadline Trump has repeatedly extended for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept a deal or face widespread destruction.