ROME: Pope Leo XIV renewed his appeal Sunday for peace in the Middle East and criticized those who invoke religion to wage war, saying that “God cannot be enlisted by darkness.”
“Currently, many of our brothers and sisters in the world are suffering from violent conflicts, caused by the absurd claim that problems and differences can be resolved through war,” he said on a pastoral visit to a Rome suburb.
He added: “Some claim to involve the name of God in these deadly decisions, but God cannot be enlisted by darkness.
“It is peace that those who invoke him must seek.”
Earlier Sunday, the US pontiff used his weekly Angelus prayer at the Vatican to again pray for the victims of the “atrocious violence of war” in the Middle East and urge dialogue and peace.
