Pope prays for peace, dialogue between Pakistan and Afghanistan

By Devin Watkins

Fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan broke out earlier this week after Pakistan accused its neighbor of harboring insurgents, with both sides carrying out strikes inside each other’s territory.

Speaking at the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV urged both sides to urgently return to dialogue, expressing his concern.

He prayed for peace and concord in all conflicts of the world, including in the Middle East where Israel and the US have launched attacks on Iran, which has in turn struck nearby countries.

“Let us pray together that concord may prevail in all conflicts in the world,” said the Pope. “Only peace, a gift of God, can heal the wounds among peoples.”

Flooding in Brazil

Pope Leo also expressed his closeness to people in Brazil’s Minas Gerais State, which has endured violent flooding in recent days.

“I pray for the victims, for the families who have lost their homes, and for all those engaged in rescue operations,” he said.

At least 46 people were killed in the southeastern state, following torrential rain and heavy flooding.

Most of those killed were in the cities of Juiz de Fora and Uba, which lie about 300 kilometers north of Rio de Janeiro.