Pope Leo XIV has expressed his deep sorrow following recent bombings in the Middle East, particularly mourning the death of a Maronite priest in Lebanon. The pontiff is calling for an immediate finish to hostilities in the region, where escalating violence has claimed numerous innocent lives, including many children.
Vatican News
“Pope Leo XIV expresses his profound sorrow for all the victims of the bombings of these days in the Middle East, for the many innocents, including many children, and for those who were helping them, such as Father Pierre El-Rahi,” according to a statement released Monday by the Holy See Press Office.
Father Pierre El-Rahi, the Maronite priest, was killed on Monday, March 9, 2026, in Qlayaa, Lebanon, during an attack on a home in his parish. He had rushed to the scene with several young people to assist residents whose house had been struck by an Israeli tank, according to reports from Vatican News. A second strike then hit the same location, wounding Father El-Rahi, who later died at a local hospital.
The death of Father El-Rahi, a dedicated pastor who remained with his parishioners despite evacuation orders, has left the community in mourning and fear, according to Father Toufic Bou Merhi, a Latin-rite parish priest in Tyre and Deirmimas.
The Pope’s statement also highlighted the growing toll on civilians, noting that nearly 300 children have been killed since the recent escalation of conflict, according to organizations like UNICEF and Save the Children.
“He is following what is happening with concern and prays that every hostility may cease as soon as possible,” the Vatican statement continued. This expression of grief follows Pope Leo XIV’s previous appeals for peace in the region, including a recent call for an end to the “estruendo de las bombas” in Iran and throughout the Middle East. The Pope urged prayers for reconciliation and hope during his Angelus address on Sunday.
