VATICAN CITY, (Reuters) – Pope Leo expressed concern on Tuesday about a ?rising tenor of animosity in the ?expanding Iran war, repeating calls for a ceasefire amid reports the U.S. is planning to send thousands of ?soldiers to the Middle East in ?a military buildup.
Leo, the first U.S. pope, ?lamented that “hatred is increasing, and the ?violence is getting worse and worse.”
There are more than a million displaced people and many dead,” said the pope. “I invite ?all the ?authorities to ?truly work through dialogue to resolve the problems.”
Leo, who is ?known for choosing his words ?carefully, ?has been ramping up calls for an end to the Iran war in recent ?days. ?On Sunday, he said ?the conflict was a “scandal to the whole human family.”