New Pope puzzles with possible olive branch to Trump as he boldly pitches himself as the world's greatest 'peacemaker'
Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of global peace on Wednesday, as President Donald Trump is pitching himself as a president devoted to peace in the Middle East.
'War is never inevitable. Weapons can and must fall silent, for they never solve problems but only intensify them,' Pope Leo XIV wrote on the official 'Pontifex' X account.
'Those who sow peace will endure throughout history, not those who reap victims,' he added. 'Others are not enemies to hate but human beings with whom to speak.'
The pope did not refer to President Trump by name, but his post emphasized a universal truth about the teachings of Christ at a time of war and chaos around the world.
The pope's account also linked to his speech to participants in the jubilee of Oriental Churches, where he shared a similar message to priests and religious men and women from the Eastern Church.
At the same time, Trump is traveling the Middle East and emphasizing the importance of global peace.
'I believe it is God's job to sit in judgment, my job, to defend America and to promote the fundamental interest of stability, prosperity, and peace,' Trump said during a speech to Saudi Arabia's leaders on Tuesday. 'That's what I really want to do.'
The president offered an 'olive branch' to Iran and urged the country to abandon its funding of terrorism and seek peace with neighbors in the Middle East.
He also emphasized his earnest desire to make peace in Lebanon and Syria during his speech.
Trump met with Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday, lifting sanctions on his nation, and urged him to normalize ties with Israel.
The president is also trying to negotiate peace and hostage releases between Israel and Palestine as the brutal war against Hamas continues in Gaza.
'My greatest hope is to be a peacemaker and to be a unifier. I don't like war,' he said.
Trump also celebrated his success at negotiating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
The Trump administration has set up peace talks in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine with the hopes of finally reaching a ceasefire and ending the war.
'The West should not be dragging itself backward into another endless war in Europe, yet another endless war,' Trump said. 'We should stop the killing and work together to address the biggest long-term threats as one unbeatable team.'
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg will attend the talks in Turkey with the Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is nearby, indicating he is ready to meet with Putin who has not yet confirmed his appearance at the talks.
President Trump is visiting the Middle East, expressing optimism in the progress of the peace process and has said he is prepared to meet with Putin if he decides to attend.
'I think we're having some pretty good news coming out of there today and maybe tomorrow and maybe Friday frankly,' Trump said during his visit to Qatar, referring to the Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations.
The president continues to promote the idea of 'peace through strength,' recalling that the United States had launched more than 1,000 military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen after they attacked ships in Red Sea shipping lanes.
He celebrated that the Houthis had agreed to stop targeting American ships and that the United States would suspend their bombing campaign as another olive branch to the Middle East.
'As President of the United States, my preference will always be for peace and partnership, whenever those outcomes can be achieved, always, it's always going to be that way. Only a fool would think otherwise,' he concluded.
The Pope has still not addressed
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