Pope urges US, Iran to resume peace talks; condemns capital punishment

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Pope Leo XIV called Thursday for the United States and Iran to return to negotiations to end their conflict, condemning capital punishment and calling for a new culture of peace to replace violence, according to LEX 18 News.

Speaking during a wide-ranging press conference aboard his papal plane returning from an African trip, Leo said the focus should not be on whether regimes should change, but rather how to promote shared values without the deaths of innocent people. He revealed he carries a photograph of a Muslim Lebanese boy killed during Israel's recent conflict with Hezbollah, who had greeted him during a papal visit to Lebanon.

"As a pastor I cannot be in favor of war," Leo told reporters. "I would like to encourage everyone to find responses that come from a culture of peace and not hatred and division."

When asked about Iran's recent executions, Leo expanded his condemnation to all capital punishment globally. "I condemn the taking of peoples lives. I condemn capital punishment," he said, echoing a position Pope Francis established in the church's social teaching, declaring execution immoral in all cases.

Leo also addressed migration policy, affirming nations' rights to control their borders while calling for wealthier countries to address root causes of poverty driving migration. He insisted migrants "deserve to be respected in their human dignity and not be treated worse than house pets, animals."

On the divisive issue of LGBTQ+ blessings, Leo stated the Vatican does not support formalized or ritualized blessings of same-sex couples, though the church in 2023 allowed informal, spontaneous blessings. He criticized how Western church discourse has focused excessively on sexual morality at the expense of broader justice and equality issues.

The pope's comments come amid public tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump over his Iran policy and follow his visit to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, where he balanced diplomatic messaging with subtle condemnations of authoritarian governance.