Dalai Lama backs Pope Leo on wars, urges to end global conflicts amid escalating Iran-Israel US war

Tibetan spiritual leader and Nobel Peace Laureate Dalai Lama on Tuesday (March 31, 2026) endorsed the recent appeal for peace made by Pope Leo XIV.

In a message issued from Dharamsala, the Buddhist leader emphasised that “violence has no place in any spiritual tradition”, highlighting the shared values of compassion, tolerance, and harmony across religions.

Endorsing the Pope’s call made during the Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square, the Dalai Lama said “the appeal for laying down arms and renouncing violence deeply resonated him, as it speaks to the very essence of what all major religions teach”.

“I wholeheartedly endorse the powerful appeal for peace made by the Holy Father, Pope Leo, during his Palm Sunday Mass,” he said.

“Violence finds no true home in any of these teachings,” he said, noting that all major faiths, including Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism, share the same message of love, compassion, tolerance, and self-discipline.

He stressed that lasting solutions to conflicts “such as those in the Middle East and between Russia and Ukraine” must be based on dialogue, diplomacy, and mutual respect — “approached with the understanding that, at the deepest level, we are all brothers and sisters.

“History has shown us time and again that violence only begets more violence and cannot be the foundation for enduring peace,” he added.

Calling for global unity, the Dalai Lama urged people worldwide to work towards peace and prayed for an early end to ongoing violence and conflicts.

Earlier, Pope Leo dedicated his Palm Sunday homily to insisting that God is the “king of peace” who rejects violence and comforts those who are oppressed.

“Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” Pope Leo said.

“He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.” In a special blessing at the end of Mass, the Pope said he was praying especially for Christians in West Asia who are “suffering the consequences of an atrocious conflict. In many cases, they cannot live the rites of these holy days”.