Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has renewed the Holy See’s longstanding call for a two State solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict, saying it remains the clearest path towards a just and lasting peace for both peoples.
Speaking at the Angelus in Castel Gandolfo on August 16, the Pope appealed to the international community to take renewed steps towards establishing two independent states. His remarks came as violence and tensions continue to affect Palestinians and Israelis, with the situation becoming increasingly difficult since the major escalation of the conflict on October 7, 2023.
Pope Leo called on countries around the world to take responsibility for advancing a political solution. He also condemned violence and abuses suffered by Palestinians in the West Bank and said the international community should work with greater urgency to address the long running conflict.
The position expressed by Pope Leo is not a new policy for the Catholic Church. The Holy See has supported the idea of two states for decades, with successive Popes repeatedly saying that Israelis and Palestinians both have legitimate rights that must be recognised.
The origins of this approach can be traced back to the years following the Second World War. In 1947, the United Nations approved a plan to divide Mandatory Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, while proposing a special international status for Jerusalem.
Pope Pius XII later focused strongly on the protection of Jerusalem and other holy places. In statements made in 1948 and 1949, he called for arrangements that could guarantee security and decent living conditions for the people affected by the conflict. He also urged world leaders to establish a stable legal status for Jerusalem and its surrounding areas.
Pope Paul VI continued to highlight the importance of the Palestinian people and the special status of Jerusalem. During his historic visit to the Holy Land in 1964, he became the first Pope to travel to the region. In the years that followed, he repeatedly appealed for peace and protection for Jerusalem, which holds deep religious significance for Christians, Jews and Muslims.
The position became even clearer under Pope John Paul II. He strongly supported Israel’s right to security while also calling for the Palestinian people to have their own homeland. In 1984, he formally expressed the view that Israelis should be able to live in security and peace, while Palestinians should have the right to return to their homeland and live peacefully alongside neighbouring peoples.
John Paul II repeated this message during his historic visit to the Holy Land in 2000. His approach reflected the central idea that peace could not be achieved by recognising the rights of one side while ignoring the rights of the other.
Pope Benedict XVI continued the same policy during his visit to the Middle East in 2009. He openly supported the creation of a sovereign Palestinian homeland living in peace and security with its neighbours and within internationally recognised borders. He also urged Palestinians and Israelis to keep hope alive despite years of conflict.
Under Pope Francis, the Holy See’s support for two states gained further diplomatic importance. In 2015, the Vatican formally recognised the State of Palestine through a comprehensive agreement. Francis had also brought Israeli and Palestinian leaders together for a prayer for peace in the Vatican Gardens in 2014.
During his visit to the Holy Land that year, Pope Francis said peace required courage and creativity. He stressed that both states should have the right to exist and live in peace and security within internationally recognised borders.
That position continued throughout his pontificate. Vatican diplomats and senior officials repeatedly described the creation of two states as the most realistic political path towards ending the conflict and addressing the aspirations of both peoples.
Pope Leo XIV has now placed that message firmly at the centre of his own approach to the Middle East. During his diplomatic engagements in 2026, he again described the two State solution as the institutional framework needed to meet the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians.
The challenge remains enormous. The Israeli government has continued to reject the creation of a Palestinian state under current circumstances, while the conflict has produced widespread destruction, displacement and humanitarian suffering.
Despite these obstacles, the Holy See continues to argue that the worsening situation makes a political solution more urgent rather than less important. For the Vatican, lasting peace cannot come only through military action or temporary agreements. It requires recognition of the rights, security and dignity of both peoples.
Pope Leo XIV’s latest appeal therefore represents another chapter in a position that has survived generations of Popes and repeated changes in the Middle East. The Vatican continues to believe that two peoples living in two states, with secure and internationally recognised borders, offers the strongest foundation for a peaceful future.
The call has been repeated for decades, but a final political settlement remains out of reach. As violence continues and hopes for peace remain fragile, Pope Leo is urging the international community to move beyond repeated declarations and take meaningful steps towards making the long discussed two State vision a reality.