The Pope highlighted Eastern Christians’ “sense of the sacred, their deep faith confirmed by suffering, and their spirituality, redolent of the divine mysteries”.

Pope Leo went on to recall the violence ravaging the Christian East with “diabolical intensity previously unknown,” noting that some ROACO members were unable to come to Rome for the annual meeting due to the conflict in the Middle East.

“Our hearts bleed when we think of Ukraine, the tragic and inhumane situation in Gaza, and the Middle East, ravaged by the spread of war,” he said.

Every individual, added the Pope, must examine the causes of these conflicts and seek to resolve them, while rejecting explanations that are manipulative or false.

“It is truly distressing to see the principle of ‘might makes right’ prevailing in so many situations today, all for the sake of legitimizing the pursuit of self-interest,” he said.

Pope Leo said on Thursday that conflicts in the Middle East were raging with an unprecedented „diabolical intensity“ and appealed for greater respect for international law, in comments to Catholic bishops and aid agencies operating in the region.
At a meeting in the Vatican, the pontiff said countries in the region were being „devastated by wars, plundered by special interests, and covered by a cloud of hatred that renders the air unbreathable and toxic.“