Pope Leo urges Trump, world leaders to end Iran war soon as Easter holiday looms

Speaking to reporters outside the papal residence in Italy, Pope Leo repeated his call for an end to the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, expressing hope for a solution by the Easter holiday. The pontiff said he hopes President Donald Trump is "looking for an off-ramp" when asked by a reporter if he has a message for leaders, echoing his comments made over the past several days lamenting the conflict. "I will certainly continue to give this call to all leaders of the world, to say, 'come back to the table for dialogue,'" he said. "Let's look for solutions to problems. Let's look for ways to reduce the amount of violence." The U.S.-born pope added that he would like to see peace, "especially" at Easter, on April 5. In an address to tens of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square on Palm Sunday, March 29, Pope Leo said God rejects the prayers of leaders who start wars and have "hands full of blood" and called the conflict "atrocious." Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/live-story/news/world/2026/03/31/iran-war-trump-gas-prices-live-updates/89395049007/ Sign up for our newsletter for the day's top stories, from sports to movies to politics to world events: https://profile.usatoday.com/newsletters/daily-briefing/