Archbishop Coakley urges participation in Pope Leo XIV’s vigil for peace amid Iran tensions
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called on April 8 for President Trump to avoid further military action in Iran and urged Catholics to join Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming prayer vigil for peace.
The statement comes as concerns rise over possible escalation and targeting of civilian infrastructure in Iran. Archbishop Coakley said the threat of destroying a civilization or intentionally targeting civilians “cannot be morally justified” and emphasized alternatives to armed conflict.
“I call on President Trump to step back from the precipice of war and negotiate a just settlement for the sake of peace and before more lives are lost,” Coakley said. He referenced Pope Leo XIV’s recent Holy Week appeals, noting that “the peace that ‘Jesus gives us is not a peace that merely silences the weapons, but one that touches and transforms the heart of each of us! Let us make heard the cry for peace that springs from our hearts!’”
Coakley also relayed Pope Leo’s invitation to all people to participate in a global prayer vigil on Saturday, April 11: “I make a special plea to my brother bishops, the priests, the laity, and all people yearning for true peace to join the Holy Father’s Vigil for Peace, whether virtually, or in parishes, chapels, or before the Lord present in the quiet of their hearts.”
The Archdiocese of Newark has engaged in social outreach and community events across northern New Jersey according to its official website. It aims to serve as witnesses of Christ by providing pastoral care and ministries according to its official website. Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin serves as Archbishop according to its official website, with pastoral efforts extending across Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties according to its official website. The archdiocese participates in global Church initiatives such as World Mission Sunday collections according to its official website while offering parish support services including faith formation and social outreach according to its official website.
Concluding his statement about current international tensions, Coakley said: “Let us entrust ourselves to him [the Lord] and open our hearts to him! He is the only one who makes all things new (cf. Rev 21:5).”
