“Today, as we all know, there was a threat against the entire people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable,” the pope said to reporters in Italian. “There are certainly issues about international law here, but even more, it’s a moral question about the well-being of the people as a whole.”
His comments came after President Trump made an Easter threat to bomb Iran’s civilian infrastructure, which has now escalated to a promise that their “whole civilization will die tonight” unless they follow his orders.
The American president is threatening nuclear war.
In English, the pope continued, “I call on all people who want peace to always seek peace and not violence.
We should reject war, especially a war that many people say is unjust, and that keeps getting worse without solving anything.”
He added, “I would encourage citizens from all the countries involved to reach out to their leaders, politicians, and congressmen, and ask them to work for peace and to always reject war.
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This push for direct involvement from the American people in the Iran conflict is a significant step from the pope.
There are about 53 million Catholic adults in the United States. If they contact their elected officials in large numbers, it could greatly influence the situation.
The pope also mentioned the “worldwide economic crisis, energy crisis,” and “great instability” in the Middle East as factors that are “spreading more hatred around the world.”
“Attacks on civilian infrastructure go against international law,” he said.
“It’s also a sign of the hatred, division, and destruction that humans are capable of.”
This is the kind of moral leadership the world needs right now.
The United States has lost its leadership role on the global stage because the president has gone too far. He has his finger on the nuclear button and is targeting 93 million Iranians. Even if he backs down — and we hope he does — we must hold him accountable. This man and anyone who helped him should be prosecuted and imprisoned for life. War criminals belong in prison.
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