Pope Leo XIV expressed sorrow over the deaths of innocent children killed in a military attack on a girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran, reiterating his call for dialogue and peace between the United States and Iran.
The Holy Father made these comments after receiving a letter from the parents of the girls who died in the strike on April 23. More than 150 people were killed in the Feb. 28 attack, which the Defense Department says it is investigating.
“I have just seen a letter from the families of the children killed on the first day of the attack,” Leo said, speaking to reporters on the plane back to Rome after visiting four countries in Africa. According to Vatican News, run by the Vatican.
“They talk about how they have lost their children who died in that incident,” he said. “The issue is not whether there will be regime change; the issue is how to promote the values we believe in without causing the deaths of so many innocent people.”
Leo described Iran’s situation amid the ongoing ceasefire as “complex” and said that “one day Iran says yes and the United States says no, and vice versa.” The Pope warned: “We don’t know where things are going.”
“This has created a chaotic, dire situation for the global economy, but an entire population of innocent people in Iran are suffering because of this war,” he said. “So, on regime change, yes or no: it is not even clear which regime currently exists after the first days of Israel and the United States’ attacks on Iran.”
“Rather, I would encourage continued negotiations for peace, so that all parties make every effort to promote peace, eliminate the threat of war, and respect international law,” he said. “It is very important that innocent people are protected, which has not been the case in many places.”
There was a letter from the parents of the victims fully published By a reporter from Press TV, which is run by the Iranian government. The letter is written in Persian.
according to Partial English translation on Press TVThe parents said the pontiff’s consistent advocacy for peace “provided a healing touch to our broken hearts.”
“Today, instead of feeling the warmth of our children’s embrace, we are left holding their burnt backpacks and blood-stained magazines,” the letter said, according to a translation.
It said, “Our children will never return home to build a brighter future, but we as grieving parents pray that your message of ‘give up your weapons’ will be heard, at a time when the United States and the Israeli regimes are fanning the flames of these atrocities with their excessive demands.”
Asked for comment, the Defense Department pointed to EWTN News Comments by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth On April 24, when asked about the Pope’s comments on Iran.
“We know what our mission is,” he said. “We know what authority we have. We are very clear about that. We follow the president’s orders.”
He added, “We have lawyers everywhere who look at what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, and give us every authority we need under the Constitution and our laws to execute it.” “So we feel very confident across the board about what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, and what legal justification we’re following for doing it.”
A Defense Department official told EWTN News that the attack on the school in Minab “is currently under investigation” and “more information (when) it becomes available will be provided.” The Pentagon has not claimed responsibility for the attack.
