Between wars and migrations. Returning from Africa, Leo XIV asks the Catholic church to go beyond sexuality

Article by Justin McLellan published on the Catholic portal National Catholic Reporter(United States) on April 23, 2026. Freely translated by Gionata Project volunteers.

"As a pastor I cannot be in favor of war." This is how Pope Leo XIV spoke about the conflict in Iran during the press conference held on the plane returning to Rome. “Whether or not there is regime change, the question is how to promote the values ​​we believe in without the deaths of so many innocent people.”

Flying over the Sahara desert after leaving Equatorial Guinea, Leone once again returned to the topic of the war in Iran, a position that in the previous days had attracted harsh criticism on social media from US President Donald Trump.

Returning to Rome on April 23, the pope answered journalists' questions in the traditional in-flight press conference, touching on topics such as war, migration, blessings for same-sex couples and the meaning of his meetings with African political leaders.

Speaking about the negotiations between Iran and the United States, he underlined the need to always keep the innocent civilian population at the center and noted that peace attempts, between pauses and restarts, "have created a chaotic situation for the global economy."

The Pope called on the parties to the conflict to "make every effort to promote peace" and to respect international law. “It is very important that the innocent are protected, which in many places has not happened,” he said, before sharing a personal memory.

He said he always carried with him a photo of a Muslim boy holding a “Welcome Pope Leo” sign, taken during his trip to Lebanon the previous December. That boy, he added, was killed in the war.

Asked whether he condemned the Iranian regime, accused of executions and violent repression of protests, the pope responded without directly mentioning the country: «When a regime, when a country makes decisions that unjustly take people's lives, it must be condemned. I condemn all unjust actions. I condemn the taking of life. I condemn the death penalty."

In view of the trip scheduled for 6 to 12 June in Spain, where he will visit the Canary Islands, one of the main points of arrival for African migrants in Europe, Leone also spoke about migration. He recognized the right of states to regulate their borders, but stressed that richer countries must do more to support poorer ones.

«I believe that a state has the right to establish rules on its borders. I'm not saying that everyone should enter without order... sometimes situations are created that are more unfair than the ones we started with. But having said that, we must ask ourselves what we do in richer countries to change the situation in poorer countries."

He added that, even when a country does not have reception capacity, people must be treated "humanely" and not "worse than pets". “When they arrive, they are human beings and deserve the respect that every human being deserves.”

Asked about blessings to same-sex couples, the Pope urged us not to make this issue an element of division in the Catholic Church. «It is very important whether the unity or division of the Church it doesn't revolve around sexual issues», he said, recalling that other issues — justice, equality and freedom — have a greater priority.

However, he reiterated that the Vatican has already expressed its opinion disagreement with some initiatives of the German Catholic Church that they predict structured forms of blessing for couples in non-sacramental relationships, including those of the same sex, beyond what is permitted by the document approved in 2023 by Pope Francis.

That text clarified that “couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples” can receive an informal blessing from a priest, but without a structured rite similar to marriage.

«Going beyond this today – observed Leone – risks creating more division than unity. We should look for ways to build unity about Jesus Christ and what Jesus Christ teaches.”

The pope also responded to criticism that his trips to countries with authoritarian governments legitimize those leaders. “We are trying to apply the Gospel to concrete situations to improve people's lives,” he explained.

“We don't always make big statements of condemnation, but there is a lot of work behind the scenes to promote justice, to support humanitarian causes, to seek, at times, the release of political prisoners.”

At the beginning of the trip, overshadowed in the media by the controversy with Trump, the Pope had made it clear that the purpose of his apostolic journeys is "to meet, accompany and get to know the people of God", even if the attention is often focused on politics.

“The journey must be interpreted first of all as the desire to announce the Gospel,” he said. And he added: "It is true that sometimes it is necessary to intervene, to encourage people to take on responsibilities... but the heart is to be close to people, in their joy, in the depth of their faith, but also in their suffering."

Original text: "Pope Leo: 'I cannot be in favor of war,' talks migration, same-sex blessings, in press conference”