Pope Leo XIV has renewed his appeal for peace in the Holy Land, calling for an end to violence against Palestinians in the West Bank while urging the international community to advance a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians.
Speaking after the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo addressed the continuing unrest in the region and called for an end “to the repeated acts of violence against the Palestinian population of the West Bank,” according to Vatican News.
The Holy Father also appealed directly to world leaders, saying, “I urgently call on the international community to work toward advancing the two-state solution, for a just and lasting peace,” according to Vatican News.
The appeal reflects a position the Holy See has maintained across successive pontificates: Israelis and Palestinians should be able to live in peace and security, with the legitimate rights and aspirations of both peoples recognized.
According to Vatican News, support for such an arrangement has developed into a firmly established element of Vatican diplomacy over the decades, with Popes repeatedly defending both Israel’s right to security and the Palestinian people’s right to a homeland.
That approach was articulated forcefully by St. John Paul II in his 1984 apostolic letter Redemptionis anno. Speaking of Israel, John Paul said the Jewish people living there should have “the desired security and the due tranquillity that is the prerogative of every nation and condition of life and of progress for every society,” according to Vatican News.
At the same time, he defended Palestinian aspirations, saying, “The Palestinian people, who find their historical roots in that land and for decades have been dispersed, have the natural right in justice to find once more a homeland and to be able to live in peace and tranquillity with the other peoples of the area,” according to Vatican News.
Pope Benedict XVI continued that position during his 2009 journey to the Middle East. According to Vatican News, Benedict told Palestinians, “The Holy See supports the right of your people to a sovereign Palestinian homeland in the land of your forefathers, secure and at peace with its neighbors, within internationally recognized borders.”
Pope Francis likewise repeatedly promoted the two-state framework. During his 2014 journey to the Holy Land, he called for “the courage to forge a peace which rests on the acknowledgment by all of the right of two States to exist and to live in peace and security within internationally recognized borders,” according to Vatican News.
The Holy See’s diplomatic commitment was further reinforced in 2015 through its Comprehensive Agreement with the State of Palestine, Vatican News reported.
Pope Leo has continued that longstanding approach since the beginning of his pontificate. During his January 2026 address to the Diplomatic Corps, he said, “the two-State solution remains the institutional perspective for meeting the legitimate aspirations for both peoples,” according to Vatican News.
He has also acknowledged the political obstacles facing that goal. Speaking during his Apostolic Journey to Türkiye and Lebanon, Pope Leo noted that Israel does not currently accept the proposal, while reaffirming the Vatican’s position that the two-state framework remains the path it supports for resolving the conflict.
Sunday’s appeal placed that diplomatic position alongside the Pope’s immediate concern about violence in the West Bank. Rather than treating peace as an abstract political objective, Pope Leo called upon the international community to act as suffering and instability continue.
The Holy Father also turned to another symbol of international fraternity during his remarks, highlighting the Mediterranean Games in Taranto, Italy. According to Vatican News, Pope Leo expressed hope that the sporting event would become “a prophetic sign of peace and fraternity among the peoples of this region and of the whole world.”
For the Holy See, the pursuit of peace in the Holy Land remains rooted in the conviction that the dignity, legitimate aspirations and security of both peoples must be respected. Pope Leo’s latest appeal continues a decades-long papal call for dialogue rather than violence and for a political settlement capable of allowing Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in lasting peace.
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