Pope Leo XIV reiterated this Sunday, during a flight from Istanbul (Turkey) to Beirut (Lebanon), that the only solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine is the creation of two states. Furthermore, Leo XIV supported the mediation of the President of Türkiye, Recep Tayyin Erdogan, in the Middle East crisis and the war in Ukraine.
The head of the Catholic Church responded, during the trip, to questions posed by Turkish journalists, saying that he addressed these two conflicts in the meeting he had with Erdogan upon arrival in Turkey, on Thursday.
The Vatican has long supported the creation of two states, he recalled. “Although Israel does not support it, we see it as the only solution to the ongoing conflict”he considered.
Clarifying that the Vatican is a “friend of Israel”, Leo XIV said he was trying, with both parties, to be a mediating voice that could help find a fair solution for everyone and in which Turkey could also have a role to play. The Vatican already recognized the State of Palestine 10 years ago, in 2015.
The Pope also revealed that he discussed the war in Ukraine with Erdogan, hoping that he, with the relationship he has with the presidents of Ukraine, Russia and the United States, can promote dialogue so that there is a ceasefire and, thus, help in resolving the conflict.
On the other hand, Leo The idea was welcomed and supported by Christians, but there is still a long way to go, he pointed out.
The Pope arrived in Lebanon this Sunday, on the second stage of his first international trip that began in Türkiye.
Leo XIV will be in Lebanon until Tuesday, a country devastated by an economic and political crisis since 2019 and which has been regularly bombed by Israel, despite the ceasefire signed in November 2024.
Joint appeal for peace
Before leaving for Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV and Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople asked, in a joint statement, that everything possible be done to end the wars, expressing themselves “alarmed by the international situation”.
“Together, we fervently raise our voices to invoke God’s gift of peace upon our world. Tragically, in many regions of our planet, conflict and violence continue to destroy the lives of so many people,” they wrote in the statement, signed after celebrating a ceremony together at the Patriarchal Church of St. George in Istanbul.
In the document, signed on the third day of the Pope’s visit to Turkey, the two religious leaders appeal to those with “civil and political responsibilities to do everything in their power to ensure that the tragedy of war ends immediately” and asked “all people of good will to support” the appeal. “Reject any use of religion and the name of God to justify violence“, but-se.
Leo XIV and Bartholomew I, Patriarch of Constantinople
Vatican Pool
The Pope and the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians stated that they believe that “true interreligious dialogue, far from being a cause of syncretism and confusion, is essential for the coexistence of peoples of different traditions and cultures.”
They urged “all men and women of good will to work together to build a more just and supportive world”, as “only in this way can the human family overcome indifference, the desire for domination, greed and xenophobia”.
“Although we are deeply alarmed by the current international situation, we have not lost hope. God will not abandon humanity,” they wrote.
It also confirmed the “common desire” to “continue the process of exploring a possible solution” to celebrate Easter together every year.
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