Ayatollah Damad urges Pope Leo XIV to persuade the U.S. to halt military escalation in the Middle East and promote global peace.
Newsroom (12/03/2026 Gaudium Press) In a striking gesture of interfaith diplomacy, Iranian Ayatollah Mostafa Mohaghegh Damad has addressed an open letter to Pope Leo XIV, urging the pontiff to use his moral authority to appeal for peace and encourage the President of the United States to deescalate growing tensions in the Middle East.
According to the National Catholic Reporter, the message arrives amid acute regional strain following the outbreak of hostilities on February 28 involving the United States, Israel, and Iran—a conflict that has deepened instability across an already volatile region.
A Religious Plea Grounded in Shared Faith
In his public letter, Ayatollah Damad builds his appeal on the shared moral and theological tenets of the Abrahamic religions, framing peace and justice as divine imperatives.
“Peace, justice and the noble virtues of human morality are the will of God in all divine religions and in the sacred Scriptures,” he writes, emphasizing that the duty to uphold these values transcends political boundaries and religious divisions.
The cleric, an established voice within Iran’s Shia hierarchy, condemns the humanitarian toll of the recent violence. He denounces the bombing of civilian and scientific infrastructure—schools, hospitals, and research centers—arguing that such acts violate both international law and the moral duties of states.
Direct Appeal to the Vatican
Ayatollah Damad’s missive carries a pointed request: that Pope Leo XIV personally intercede with the American president, invoking the ethical foundations of Christianity to urge restraint.
“We respectfully ask that, reminding him of the teachings of Jesus Christ, you guide him to refrain from committing such acts and to prevent further human bloodshed,” the letter states.
This appeal, steeped in both reverence and urgency, underscores Damad’s belief in the Vatican’s potential to serve as a moral bridge between conflicting powers. The letter presents the Pope not only as a leader of the global Catholic community but as a moral beacon capable of inspiring humanitarian restraint on the world stage.
The Voice of a Moderate Cleric
Within Iran’s religious establishment, Mostafa Mohaghegh Damad stands out as a figure known for intellectual moderation and theological reformism. Iranian journalist Kourosh Ziabari describes him as a pragmatic scholar—one who has often advanced conversations around Islamic reform, human rights, and the reconciliation of faith with rational governance.
Over his career, Damad has publicly urged reflection on Iran’s political system from within the clerical hierarchy. His outreach to the Vatican, therefore, reflects both personal conviction and a strategic appeal to the global conscience—an attempt to build moral dialogue where political diplomacy falters.
A History of Appeals to the Holy See
This is not the first time Damad has turned to the Vatican in hope of moral intervention. In 2018, he wrote to Pope Francis, asking him to protest U.S. sanctions imposed after Washington’s withdrawal from the nuclear agreement. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his 2020 letter warned that sanctions worsened Iran’s medical shortages and appealed for humanitarian relief.
These consistent gestures portray a cleric who sees interfaith dialogue not as symbolic politeness but as an active instrument of diplomacy—a theological extension of international engagement.
The Uncertain Reach of Moral Diplomacy
While Damad’s letter resonates as a call from conscience amid war, analysts remain cautious about its tangible effects. The Holy See, despite its moral standing and long tradition of diplomatic mediation, wields limited influence over the strategic decisions driving the current crisis.
Still, the Pope’s interventions—anchored in moral persuasion rather than political power—have historically provided moments of reflection during global conflicts. Whether the latest Iranian appeal will inspire similar engagement remains uncertain, but it underscores a shared anxiety among religious leaders: that the region risks spiraling beyond redemption without immediate humanitarian restraint.
As Damad concludes, casting his message in universal moral language, “It is hoped that the world’s governments will choose friendship and kindness instead of attacking each other, dedicating their efforts to development and moral progress.”
His words, appealing to both reason and faith, serve as a reminder that even amid geopolitical turmoil, the voice of conscience continues to seek a hearing in the halls of power.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Infovaticana
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