Pope Leo has called for a global ban on aerial bombings, describing planes as 'carriers of peace' that should never be used for war. The pontiff made the remarks during a meeting with staff from Italian airline ITA Airways on Monday, in his latest condemnation of conflict amid the US-Israeli war with Iran.
'Airplanes should always be carriers of peace, never of war. No one should be afraid that threats of death and destruction might come from the sky,' Leo said. He added that after the tragic experiences of the 20th century, aerial bombings should have been banned forever, but they still exist, with technological development being placed at the service of war, which he called 'regression'.
The pope's criticism was more pointed on Sunday during his weekly Angelus prayer, where he renewed his appeal for a ceasefire. He described the death and suffering caused by the conflict as a 'scandal to the whole human family', saying he had been following the situation with dismay.
'We cannot remain silent in the face of the suffering of so many people, the defenceless victims of these conflicts. What hurts them hurts the whole of humanity,' the pope said. He strongly renewed his appeal for perseverance in prayer so that hostilities may cease and the way may finally be paved for peace.
Pope Leo, elected in May last year after the death of Pope Francis, has been cautious in his engagement with US President Donald Trump, relying instead on his college of cardinals to directly criticise the US decision to go to war in Iran. Earlier this month, Cardinal Domenico Battaglia addressed an open letter to 'the merchants of death' profiting from weapons sales, while Washington DC Cardinal Robert McElroy said the conflict 'fails to meet the just war threshold for a morally legitimate war'.
