The Iranian ayatollah Mostafa Mohaghegh Damad has addressed a public letter to Pope Leo XIV in which he asks him to use his moral authority to promote peace and persuade the President of the United States to avoid an escalation of the conflict spreading across the Middle East.
According to National Catholic Reporter, the message from the Shiite cleric comes at a time of growing tension following the conflict initiated on February 28 between the United States, Israel, and Iran, which has aggravated instability in the region.
A religious call for peace
In his letter, the ayatollah bases his request on religious principles shared by monotheistic traditions. For Damad, peace and justice are part of the divine will expressed in religions.
«Peace, justice, and the noble virtues of human morality are the will of God in all divine religions and in the sacred Scriptures,» the cleric states in his message addressed to the Pontiff.
At the same time, the religious leader criticizes the impact of the armed conflict on the civilian population. In his letter, he denounces the destruction of civilian infrastructure, medical centers, and research centers, which—he argues—violate international law and the principles of protection for such facilities.
A direct request to the Pontiff
The ayatollah’s message includes an explicit request to the Pope to intercede with the U.S. president.
Damad asks Leo XIV to remind him of the teachings of Jesus Christ and urge him to avoid new military actions that could cause more victims.
«We respectfully ask you to guide him by reminding him of the teachings of Jesus Christ, so that he refrains from committing such acts and so that no more human blood is shed,» the cleric states in his letter.
An influential figure within the Shiite clergy
Ayatollah Mohaghegh Damad is a prominent figure within Iran’s Shiite religious establishment, where scholars of Islamic law gain authority after years of theological and academic training.
As explained by Iranian journalist Kourosh Ziabari, the cleric is considered a moderate and pragmatic figure within the Iranian religious system, and on various occasions he has defended reformist interpretations of Islam.
Over the years, he has criticized some aspects of the Iranian political system from within the clerical structure and has promoted debates on social and religious issues.
A history of appeals to the Vatican
National Catholic Reporter recalls that this is not the first time Damad has addressed a letter to a Pope. In 2018, he wrote to Pope Francis requesting his intervention against U.S. sanctions on Iran following Washington’s withdrawal from the nuclear agreement.
Later, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he again asked the Pontiff to use his moral authority to promote the lifting of sanctions that, he warned, were exacerbating the shortage of medical resources in the country.
Uncertainty about the impact of the letter
Although the letter reflects the concern of religious sectors over the escalation of the conflict, various analysts consider the practical effect of the requested intervention by the Pontiff to be uncertain.
The Holy See has maintained an active presence in international diplomacy for decades as a moral voice for peace, but its capacity for direct influence in the current Middle East crisis remains limited.
Letter from Ayatollah Mostafa Mohaghegh Damad to Leo XIV:
To the Most Holy Pope Leo XIV;
The leader of the world’s Catholics presents the following for your consideration:
Humanity, after enduring years of war and bloodshed during the Middle Ages and two devastating world wars, has attained wisdom and reason, and with the adoption of the United Nations Charter, has prohibited and condemned all forms of aggression. And then, a few years later, with the adoption of the four Geneva Conventions, it was stipulated that governments, in the event of the bitter phenomenon of war occurring, are obligated and committed to upholding justice and other humanitarian principles. You will agree that peace, justice, and the virtues of human morality are the will of God in all divine religions and sacred scriptures, and the monotheistic call for peace.
Unfortunately, the president of the great and vast country of the United States, who prides himself on following the teachings of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), the prophet of mercy, friendship, and love, despite the opposition of a large part of the people of that nation, launched an aggression against Iran a few days ago in order to support the Zionist regime. The supreme leader was mercilessly martyred, and by bombing kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, he took the lives of innocent children and adolescents in a rain of fire and blood. He destroyed medical, scientific, and research centers, violating international norms and the principle of inviolability of such establishments. Can friendship and kindness be expected from a self-proclaimed follower of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), or the commission of war crimes?
Now we implore you to guide them by reminding them of the teachings of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), so that they refrain from such acts and no more human blood is shed.
It is expected that, in the future, the governments of the world will bet on friendship and kindness instead of attacking each other, and dedicate their efforts to development, guaranteeing a dignified standard of living for their peoples and deepening moral values.
Text translated into Spanish. Originally published here