Pope Leo XIV praised the recent peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan during his Sunday Angelus address, urging world leaders to reject war and take responsibility for resolving conflicts.
Vatican News reported that the Pope, speaking in St. Peter’s Square Aug. 10, called the Aug. 8 joint declaration by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev “a significant step forward.” The Pontiff voiced hope it would “contribute to a stable and lasting peace in the South Caucasus,” according to the news outlet.
The agreement, reached after years of tension and sporadic violence, has been described as a milestone in relations between the two nations.
The agreement followed a peace summit in Washington, DC, where President Donald Trump hosted both leaders at the White House for the official signing. Trump said his administration had been working with both sides “for quite some time” and celebrated the deal as a “historic day” for Armenia, Azerbaijan, the US, and “the world.”
Pope Leo also connected his appeal for peace to the 80th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, saying those tragedies serve as a stark reminder to “firmly reject war as a solution to conflict.”
He urged political leaders to “never lose sight of the consequences their decisions have on people’s lives” and to remain attentive to “the needs of the most vulnerable” as they seek diplomatic solutions.
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Author: Rachel Quackenbush
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