At the end of the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo prays for peace in Iran, where protests continue, and Syria, where the army is battling Kurdish forces in the city of Aleppo. He also condemns the recent Russian strikes on Ukrainian civilians.
By Vatican News
After the Angelus prayer on Sunday 11 January, Pope Leo called for peace and dialogue, speaking in particular of two countries in the Middle East, Iran and Syria, where he said “persistent tensions are causing the deaths of many people”.
Since late December, Iran has been the scene of new demonstrations against the regime, which have spread to many of the country’s provinces and have been repressed by security forces. In Syria, there has been widespread fighting in recent days between the army and Kurdish forces in the northern city of Aleppo.
Speaking of these two countries, the Pope said that he hoped and prayed “that dialogue and peace will be cultivated with patience, in pursuit of the common good of the whole society.”
Pope Leo also recalled the plight of the Ukrainian people, who are suffering under Russian bombardment. He lamented that these attacks are “particularly serious, targeting mainly energy infrastructure, while the cold intensifies, hitting the civilian population hard”.
“I pray for those who are suffering and I renew my call for an end to violence and for intensified efforts to achieve peace,” the Pope said.
