Pope Leo XIV issued a fervent appeal for return of diplomacy in “these dramatic hours” in the Middle East and Iran, condemning use of weapons that cause “destruction, pain, and death.”

The leader of the U.S. Catholic bishops has echoed Pope Leo XIV’s call for deescalation and dialogue in the Middle East, following the joint attacks on Iran launched Feb. 28 by the U.S. and Israel, which killed Iran’s longtime supreme leader, 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

As the first Lenten retreat of his pontificate drew to a close, Pope Leo XIV thanked Norwegian Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim for “a profound, spiritual experience” after which, the pope said, he felt “particularly invited to reflect at certain moments.”

About 100 people gathered on the campus of the University of Notre Dame Feb. 27 for an early evening event that organizers had been calling their “March on the Dome” just the day before.

The annual Maryland March for Life is set for March 16, kicking off at St. Mary in Annapolis with a 5:30 p.m. Mass celebrated by Archbishop William E. Lori in the church and a concurrent Christian prayer service in the school hall. A youth rally will precede the religious services 4:30-5:15 p.m.