Leo XIV’s Naturalistic Lament Over Middle East Violence
[ACI Stampa/EWTN News] reports that “Pope Leo XIV” addressed the Angelus on March 8, 2026, expressing “deeply disturbing news continues to arrive from Iran and the entire Middle East… concern that the conflict will spread and that other countries in the region, including beloved Lebanon, may again sink back into instability.” He prayed “that the thunderous sound of bombs may cease, weapons may fall silent, and a space for dialogue may open up” and entrusted this intention to the Virgin Mary. Reflecting on the Gospel of the Samaritan woman, he quoted the Jewish mystic Etty Hillesum and emphasized Lent as a time for interior renewal, concluding with a call for “equal dignity of man and woman” on International Women’s Day.





