USCCB president warns of prospect of wider Middle East war, calls for diplomacy, prayer for peace

March 02, 2026

Echoing Pope Leo XIV’s peace appeal, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops called upon the parties in the Iran–United States conflict to halt the spiral of violence and return to negotiations.

“The growing conflict risks spiraling into a wider regional war,” Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City said in a March 1 statement. “As the Holy Father has warned, we are faced with the possibility of a tragedy of immense proportions.”

“My brother bishops and I unite our voice with our Holy Father and make the heartfelt appeal to all parties involved for diplomacy to regain its proper role,” Archbishop Coakley continued. “We ask for a halt to the spiral of violence, and a return to multilateral diplomatic engagement that seeks to uphold the ‘well-being of peoples, who yearn for peaceful existence founded on justice.’“

“All nations, international bodies, and partners committed to peace must exert every effort to prevent further escalation,” he added.

Archbishop Coakley also appealed for prayer.

“At this critical moment, I invite Catholics and all people of goodwill to continue our ardent prayers for peace in the Middle East, for the safety of our troops and the innocent, that leaders may seek dialogue over destruction, and pursue the common good over the tragedy of war,” he said. “We implore the intercession of our Blessed Mother, Mary, Queen of Peace, to pray for our troubled world and for a lasting peace.”

 

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Further information:

• Archbishop Coakley Echoes Pope Leo XIV’s Appeal for Renewed Dialogue Amid Rising Tensions in the Middle East (USCCB, 3/1/26)
• Halt the spiral of violence, Pope pleads following strikes on Iran (CWN, 3/1/26)