The head of the Catholic Church has called for an immediate end to violence, urging world leaders to choose dialogue and diplomacy over military escalation.
“Stop now! It is time for peace. Come to the table of dialogue and mediation, not to the table where weapons are prepared and destructive decisions are made,” he said.
He further condemned what he described as the “obsession with power and wealth,” adding that the world must move away from war and aggression.
“Enough of self-interest and material greed. Enough of the show of force. Enough of war,” he declared.
The spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics has consistently appealed for calm and restraint amid rising tensions in the ongoing US–Israel–Iran conflict, insisting that a peaceful and diplomatic solution is the only viable path forward.
He is scheduled to begin an 11-day visit to Africa on Monday, starting with Algeria, where he is expected to promote peace-building and strengthen dialogue between Christianity and the Islamic world.
- AFP