In a brief but heartfelt impromptu meeting with journalists in front of the Villa Barberini residence, where the Pontiff traditionally spends his days of rest and work on Tuesdays, Pope Leo XIV again insisted on the urgent need to work for peace and reject weapons as a way to solve conflicts.

“Pray for peace, work for peace, less hatred. Hatred in the world is constantly increasing,” the Pope said with a concerned tone, addressing the journalists present directly. He emphasized that it is essential to “truly promote dialogue” and “seek solutions without resorting to weapons to resolve problems.”

These words come at a time of growing international tension, with attacks multiplying in the Middle East and a climate of fear spreading throughout the world. The Pope reiterates and reinforces the message he delivered last Sunday during the Angelus prayer, when he explicitly referred to the attack carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran, as well as the subsequent Israeli bombings in various parts of the region.

On that occasion, Leo XIV declared: “I am following with deep concern what is happening in the Middle East and in Iran in these dramatic times. Stability and peace are not built on mutual threats, nor on weapons, which sow destruction, pain, and death, but only through reasonable, genuine, and responsible dialogue.”

Furthermore, he made a “strong appeal to the parties involved to assume the moral responsibility of halting the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss.” He called for “diplomacy to reclaim its role” and for the promotion of “the good of the people, who yearn for peaceful coexistence based on justice.” He concluded his Sunday reflection with a clear request: “And let us continue to pray for peace.”

Tuesday’s declaration in Castel Gandolfo, although brief and spontaneous, reinforces the constant stance of Pope Leo XIV since the beginning of his pontificate: peace is not imposed by force, but is built with patience, dialogue and a genuine commitment to reducing hatred and fostering reconciliation.