On Saturday morning, Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, killing its leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with other senior regime figures. The following day, Pope Leo appealed for peace, urging world leaders to stop “the spiral of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable chasm.” This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Veteran Vatican Correspondent Gerard O’Connell explains why he saw Leo’s comments as relatively restrained compared to John Paul II’s at the beginning of the Iraq War.In the second part of the show, Gerry shares a story from his forthcoming book on the 2025 conclave.Links:Pope Leo urges a halt to ‘spiral of violence’ across Iran and Middle EastCardinal Parolin on Iran war: ‘The force of law has been replaced by the law of force’Address of Pope Leo XIV to Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See, Jan. 9, 2026Against Unjust and Unjustified War with IranI regret supporting the Iraq War. We shouldn’t repeat our mistakes in Iran now.Book Excerpt: Behind the scenes of Pope Leo XIV’s electionThe Election of Pope Leo XIV: The Last Surprise of Pope FrancisFollow Gerry on X: @gerryorome Follow Colleen on Instagram: @colleendulle Support Inside the Vatican by becoming a subscriber to America Magazine!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices