Pope Leo renews call for peace in Ukraine, Lebanon, Sudan

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for a ceasefire and renewed appeals for peace in Ukraine, Lebanon and Sudan, urging the international community to maintain attention on ongoing conflicts.

“May the international community’s attention to the tragedy of this war not waver,” Pope Leo said on US social media company X, expressing solidarity with the people of Lebanon, saying he felt “closer than ever” to the country amid ongoing conflict.

He called for a ceasefire and urgent efforts to reach peaceful solutions in conflict zones.

The pontiff also said the principle of humanity entails a moral obligation to protect civilians from the effects of war, as reflected in international law.

He renewed his appeal for an end to the war in Sudan, marking the third anniversary of the conflict and urging warring parties to “silence their weapons” and begin dialogue without preconditions.

Russia, Ukraine and the US previously held three rounds of peace talks this year but have been paused since, with both Moscow and Kyiv attributing the halt to Washington’s focus on the Iran war.

Israel’s large-scale attacks on Lebanon since March 2 have killed 2,020 people and injured 6,436.

The conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in April 2023, has killed thousands and displaced millions.