Archbishop Coakley and Pope Leo XIV urge Catholics to pray for peace and dialogue as Holy Week unfolds amid rising tensions with Iran.
Newsroom (02/04/2026 Gaudium Press ) As Christians entered the solemn days of Holy Week, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called on Catholics across the nation to “pray ardently” for peace and for an end to the violence in the Middle East. His April 1 statement urged renewed commitment to dialogue and reconciliation as tensions between the United States and Iran threaten further instability.
“During this holiest of weeks, let us continue to pray ardently for mutually respectful and effective dialogue that leads to a ceasefire and a negotiated end to the conflict with Iran,” Archbishop Coakley said.
The archbishop’s message echoed the appeal of Pope Leo XIV, who during Palm Sunday liturgies called on Christians to remember those “truly sharing in [Christ’s] suffering” through war and displacement. Addressing worshippers in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo invoked Jesus as “King of Peace,” returning to the phrase seven times throughout his homily to illuminate the spiritual and moral cost of violence.
“Christ, King of Peace, cries out again from his cross: God is love! Have mercy! Lay down your weapons! Remember that you are brothers and sisters,” the pope proclaimed.
In his message, Archbishop Coakley warned that the protracted conflict with Iran, including speculation about possible deployment of ground troops, threatens to ignite a broader regional war. He said any further escalation would endanger countless lives and urged world leaders to act with restraint and responsibility.
“The longer the conflict with Iran continues, including the risk of deploying ground troops to the region, the greater the risk of a dramatic escalation risking an ever-greater regional conflict,” he said. “I welcome the Administration’s indications that the war with Iran may soon be coming to an end. And I join our Holy Father’s urgent calls for the Administration and all parties involved to take decisive action toward an immediate ceasefire.”
Two days after Palm Sunday, Pope Leo XIV expanded on his peace appeal during an informal conversation with reporters outside Castel Gandolfo. Responding to remarks by President Trump suggesting he sought to “end the war,” the Pope expressed cautious optimism and called for concrete steps toward reducing violence and promoting dialogue.
“I was told that President Trump had recently stated that he would like to end the war,” Pope Leo said. “Hopefully he’s looking for an off-ramp. Hopefully he’s looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence, of bombing, which would be a significant contribution to removing the hatred that’s being created and is increasing constantly in the Middle East and elsewhere.”
The pontiff reiterated his call for unity and reconciliation, urging world leaders to “come back to the table to dialogue” and to “look for ways to reduce the amount of violence we’re promoting.” He linked this plea to the central mystery of Easter: that peace, even in times of suffering, must begin in the human heart.
“So I would certainly continue to give this call to all leaders of the world: to say, come back to the table to dialogue, let’s look for solutions to problems, let’s look for ways to reduce the amount of violence that we’re promoting, and that peace, especially at Easter, might reign in our hearts,” the pope said.
Archbishop Coakley closed his statement with a direct appeal to Christians to become “peacemakers,” citing Jesus’ call in the Gospel of Matthew to be “the light of the world” and “the salt of the earth.” He invited the faithful to let Easter’s transformative grace guide them toward reconciliation in their families, communities, and nations.
“Emboldened by Easter’s powerful, transformative grace, I urge the faithful to continue praying ardently for mutual respectful and effective dialogue, and that we Christians be true to our vocation as peacemakers,” he said.
As the global Church prepares to celebrate the joy of Christ’s Resurrection, both Coakley and Pope Leo reminded believers that the hope of Easter finds its clearest expression in the pursuit of peace — across borders, between nations, and within every human heart.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from OSV News
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