Pope prays for dialogue, peace in Iran, Syria

VATICAN CITY, Jan 11: Pope Leo XIV offered prayers for those killed in protests in Iran and in the conflict in Syria during his weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday, calling for dialogue and peace.

"My thoughts turn to what is happening these days in the Middle East, particularly in Iran and Syria, where persistent tensions are causing the deaths of many people," the US pontiff said at the Vatican.

"I hope and pray for the patient cultivation of dialogue and peace, for the common good of society as a whole."

Leo also offered his prayers for the people of Ukraine following "particularly serious" Russian strikes focused on energy infrastructure.

The attacks were "hitting the civilian population hard, just as the cold weather is getting worse", the head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics said.    �"AFP