On return flight to Rome concluding the 2026 Africa Apostolic Journey, Pope Leo XIV speaks to journalists during a roughly 20-minute in-flight press conference. Pope Leo emphasized that these 11 days trip to Africa is a pastoral journey with primary mission to proclaim the Gospel to draw close to the people in their happiness – in the depth of their faith – as well in their suffering.
Asking about the chaotic state of negotiations aimed for ending conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States – Pope Leo called for a new mindset to promote a new attitude, A Culture of Peace. He encourages the continuation of dialogue for peace – as church, I say again, and as a pastor, I cannot be in favor of war, and I would like to encourage everyone to make every effort to seek responses that come from a culture of peace and not of hatred. Pope Leo continued that factually, in many times when we evaluate certain situations, the immediate response is that we must enter with violence, with war, by attacking, and we have seen that many innocent people have died. Later, the key question was not simply whether a regime should change or not but how to defend important values without more innocent victims. It is well shown that the back-and-forth of negotiations had created this chaotic and critical situation for the world economy and innocent people in Iran are suffering.
Later in responding to a question about reported executions by the Iranian regime, the Pope issued an unequivocal condemnation – “I condemn all actions that are unjust, I condemn the taking of people’s lives. I condemn capital punishment. I believe human life is to be respected, and that all people from conception to natural birth (sic) in an apparent reference to natural death. Their lives should be respected and protected. Therefore, when a regime or a country, takes decisions to take away lives of other people unjustly, then obviously that is something should be condemned.
On the migration – a major topic ahead of his next international apostolic journey to Spain – Pope Leo said governments have the right to regulate their borders but insisted that wealthier nations must also address the deeper causes driving people to leave poorer countries. Migration’ issue is a global phenomenon, it is very complex and affects many countries, not only Spain, not only Europe, but also the United States. The Pope personally believes that a state has the right to establish rules at its borders – I do not like the idea that everyone enters as if there were no order, and at times creating even more unjust situations than those they had left behind. At the same time, he challenged richer countries and multinational corporations to do more for developing nations, especially in Africa. Referring to Africa’ case, he added that for many people it is seen as a place where one can go to take minerals, to take its riches, to enrich others in other countries. The Pope insisted that migrants must always be treated with dignity – when people arrive, they are human beings and they deserve the respect that every human being deserves because of human dignity.
A French journalist asked Pope Leo how he avoids lending moral legitimacy to authoritarian rulers when he meets them during papal trips. The pope said such encounters can be interpreted in different ways, but he returned to the pastoral purpose of the travel and diplomatic mission of the Holy See. Certainly, the presence of a Pope with any head of state can be interpreted in different ways – I would go back to something I said at my initial remarks about the apostolic journey is the Pope visits his people.
Related link:
Highlights from Pope Leo’s Apostolic Journey across Africa | Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV Concludes Historic Africa Trip in Equatorial Guinea | EWTN Vaticano
Pope Leo’s Full Press Conference on Return Flight from Africa | EWTN News
Pope: As a pastor, I cannot be in favour of war; too many innocents have died | Vatican News
