Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David and bishops in Asia have called for an end to hostilities and urged all parties concerned to engage in dialogue, echoing Pope Leo XIV’s appeal for peace amid criticism from US President Donald Trump.
The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), of which David serves as vice president, said there is a growing temptation to rely on power, force, and domination as international law weakens and global institutions lose strength.
“Yet the Gospel calls us to a different path: the path of justice, dialogue, and peace rooted in human dignity,” FABC said in a statement reported by the CBCP News on Thursday.
The FABC issued the statement amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has killed at least 3,400 people in Iran, according to U.S.-based rights group HRANA.
The group said 1,574 of those were civilians, including at least 236 children.
FABC also urged concerned parties to respect international law and humanitarian norms and to pursue the path of moral diplomacy, which serves the common good and human dignity.
“We invite all the faithful, and all people of goodwill, to join us in prayer and in action — for a world where conflicts are resolved not by weapons, but by wisdom; not by fear, but by trust,” the federation said.
Aside from David, FABC president Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao from India and FABC secretary general Cardinal Isao Kikuchi signed the statement.
Pope Leo earlier said the world needs to hear a message of peace and coexistence, after Trump once again attacked him on social media.
The first US Pontiff urged respect for all people during his flight from Algeria to Cameroon for his African tour.
The Pope told Reuters on Monday that he planned to keep criticising the war, regardless of Trump’s comments. U.S. Vice President JD Vance also said on Tuesday it was important for the pope “to be careful when he talks about matters of theology” when referring to conflict.
The Pope did not specifically address their comments on the flight on Wednesday.
Religious organizations, bishops, and priests in the Philippines have also expressed their support for the Pontiff after Trump criticized him for being “weak on crime” and having a “terrible foreign policy.”
This includes Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy, who said Pope Leo “speaks not merely as a leader of the Church, but as a voice of conscience for the world. His mission is not to please, but to guide; not to dominate, but to serve; not to remain silent, but to proclaim what is good, what is just, and what leads to true peace.”
A gift, responsibility
In a social media post, Cardinal David said “democracy is both a gift and a responsibility,” as he expressed alarm over Trump’s artificial intelligence-generated image portraying himself as a Jesus-like figure on Monday.
“Dear brothers and sisters, democracy is both a gift and a responsibility. It entrusts to citizens not only the freedom to choose their leaders, but also the duty to hold them accountable. No nation is immune from error in its choices. History is full of such moments. But what defines a people is not the absence of mistakes — it is the courage to correct them,” David said.
“The world does not look upon you with condemnation, but with hope — that the same democratic spirit that has shaped your nation can still act with wisdom, humility, and resolve. There is still time to safeguard what is best in your traditions, to ensure that leadership remains grounded not in self-exaltation, but in service,” he added.
Trump’s AI-generated image drew widespread criticism before deleting the post on Monday.
The post on Trump’s Truth Social platform, which Trump later said was meant to portray him as a doctor, depicted him in a white robe with an apparently healing hand on a supine man’s head. — BAP, GMA News
