Overview
- Speaking at the March 15 Angelus, the Pope called for an immediate ceasefire and the reopening of dialogue channels across the Middle East.
- He said violence cannot deliver justice, stability or peace and offered prayers for victims of strikes on schools, hospitals and populated areas.
- He noted that people in the region have faced two weeks of brutal warfare with thousands killed and many forced from their homes.
- Focusing on Lebanon, he urged steps that back national authorities in pursuing durable solutions, as reporting describes more than 700,000 people displaced and villages near the Israeli border emptying.
- The coverage also reports the recent killing of Maronite priest Pierre Al-Rahi in Qlayaa and links the Pope’s renewed appeal to reports of attacks on Iran attributed to the Trump administration and Israel.