A U.S. bishop is calling for peace and humanitarian aid to Lebanon, where the U.S.-Israel war on Iran has spread with devastating consequences.

As the death toll in Lebanon continues to rise following devastating strikes by the Israeli military, the Vatican’s representative in the country said the bombardment “is not the right path.”

The top Vatican diplomat in the U.S. was brought to the Pentagon in January for a “bitter lecture” about comments from Pope Leo XIV that some senior U.S. defense officials perceived as criticism of the Trump administration, The Free Press reported April 6.

A federal judge on April 7 paused Louisiana’s lawsuit challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone pending its promised safety review.

Five minutes. That’s how much time passed between Todd Leonard’s last meeting with Father Arul Carasala and the moment Leonard found the priest fatally wounded outside his own rectory in Seneca on April 3, 2025.

Pope Leo XIV welcomed the newly announced ceasefire in the Middle East as “a sign of genuine hope” after what he described as “hours of extreme tension,” while urging a return to negotiations and calling the faithful to prayer.

President Donald Trump on April 7 backed down from his threat to wipe out Iran’s “whole civilization,” citing negotiations with Pakistani mediators.

Pope Leo urges citizens to call on leaders to reject war after ‘unacceptable’ Trump Iran threat

President Donald Trump threatened a “whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran does not make a deal by 8 p.m. EDT on April 7 — a statement that drew a stark rebuke within hours from the leader of the U.S. Catholic bishops, who invoked Pope Leo XIV’s recent appeals for peace as he called on the president “to step back from the precipice.”

President Donald Trump threatened a “whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran does not make a deal by 8 p.m. EDT on April 7. His comments come as Pope Leo XVI has urgently called for peace and set up a prayer vigil for April 11, the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday.