Vatican News

“I call on President Trump to step back from the precipice of war and negotiate a just settlement for the sake of peace and before more lives are lost,” says Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

In a statement published on Tuesday, 7 April, the archbishop decried the U.S. President’s threat to launch an all-out attack on Iran if it doesn’t respect a deadline set by the president himself on Tuesday evening to reach a deal to reopen the Straight of Hormuz, a commercially vital passage for cargo ships.

With the threat of increased military action, including the targeting of civilian infrastructure in Iran, Archbishop Coakley also highlighted Pope Leo XIV’s appeals for peace during Holy Week and Easter and invited all men and women of goodwill to join him in a prayer vigil for peace on Saturday, 11 April.

“I make a special plea to my brother bishops, the priests, the laity, and all people yearning for true peace to join the Holy Father’s Vigil for Peace, whether virtually, or in parishes, chapels, or before the Lord present in the quiet of their hearts to join with our Holy Father as we pray for peace in our world,” Archbishop Coakley said.