Free Republic

Inside a majestic domed church at one of Russia's oldest monasteries, bearded priests in red-and-gold frocks recite prayers calling for "victory" in the four-year war against Ukraine. But on the cobbled streets of the Pskov-Pechersky grounds -- close to the border with NATO and EU member Estonia -- some Orthodox pilgrims were more concerned with bringing the conflict to an end, as soon as possible. "The Church prays for the soldiers. We pray for only one thing right now: we pray for peace," said Valentina, a 69-year-old pensioner. Institutionally, the Russian Orthodox Church has stood full-square behind President Vladimir Putin...

This Great Deal will bring Peace and Security to the whole Region. Many presidents have tried to make Peace with Iran, and all have failed before me. The Leaders of the Region have, for the first time, found a President who can help them achieve real Peace. With the opening of the Strait upon the signing of the Deal on Friday, for purposes of mine removal, oil will flow on both ends again for the Region, and the World! President DONALD J. TRUMP

President Trump said the supreme leader of Iran Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has agreed to the peace deal, including its provision that Tehran cannot have a nuclear weapon. “They will not have a nuclear weapon, they’ve agreed to that,” he said. “They will not only not have, they will not purchase, develop in any way, any shape, in any way, shape, or form a nuclear weapon. They will not have a nuclear weapon.” The president has been adamant that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, leaving it as a make or break condition in the talks. Tehran had pushed back, claiming...

One potential coalition, which would be healthy for both the party and the country, would be between social conservatives and antiwar voters. In the time since the election, both of these groups have been repeatedly disappointed, especially by the [Trump] administration’s war with Iran and its approval, through the FDA, of a new form of mifepristone, a dangerous abortion pill... These two disappointed factions are naturally complementary coalition partners, particularly on the pro-life issue. There is a natural connection between the defense of innocent human life at home through pro-life policies and protecting it abroad by avoiding unjust wars. There’s...

Last Sunday, I met an Arab Christian who was visiting our church. In a respectful way, he poured out his heart concerning the plight of his people in the Middle East and his sadness at how few American Christian pastors ever say anything positive or hopeful about Arab Christians... So I thought it would be good to publicly affirm a few positions that I think the Bible mandates:- True Christians are citizens of the kingdom of Jesus Christ first, and only secondarily citizens of any earthly nation or state. - American Christians are more closely united to Palestinian Christians and...

The negotiations between the United States and Iran to end their war are following President Trump’s familiar playbook for resolving a Middle East crisis: agree to a cease-fire and deal with the toughest problems later. Analysts say the approach has had mixed results in the Gaza Strip, where Mr. Trump brokered a truce last year between Israel and Hamas, the Iranian-backed militant group. Plans for a so-called Phase 2 agreement — under which Hamas was to lay down its arms and Israel would allow Gaza to be rebuilt after a devastating war — have stalled. A similar approach in U.S....

The US military carried out new strikes in Iran Wednesday, targeting a military site that threatened American troops and commercial shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. “Today, US Central Command Forces shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz,” a US official said in a statement. “US forces also struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone,” the official added. Despite the skirmish, the fragile cease-fire that has been in place since April 8 is still considered to be holding.“These actions were...

On Sunday, President Donald Trump said the deal that they are working on will involve "no dust, no dollars" and will not be like the failed Iran deal of Barack Obama, that it will be a good deal, or there will be no deal. He clapped back at criticism from people he said didn't know the Now, Trump has dropped a big update to the deal — that ultimately, it could turn out to be a more far-reaching peace deal. He said negotiations were proceeding "nicely" with Iran. Trump announced on Truth Social that he had held a conference call...

Since war is the world's most terrible scourge, we should do all in our power to prevent its recurrence. It was the hope of mankind that with the cessation of hostilities of World War II the way would be open to founding a permanent peace. Instead, that war has left the world in a state of continued unrest. Accordingly, we feel the need of turning in humble suppliance to Almighty God for help and guidance. In recognition of this need, the Congress has fittingly provided, in a joint resolution which I approved on May 11, 1950, that Memorial Day, which...

Washington’s war hawks are molting down over President Trump’s outreach to Iran. Senator Ted Cruz says that he is “concerned.” Senator Roger Wicker fears a “disaster.” Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo deemed a preliminary agreement with Iran “not remotely America First.” Trump and his advisors are having none of it. Responding to Pompeo, White House communications director Steve Cheung observed that “he should shut his stupid mouth and leave the real work to the professionals.” Trump, who angered Senate Republicans earlier this week by proposing a $1.8 billion slush fund for January 6 victims and by endorsing Ken Paxton...

This is a war, which means that it isn't over until it's over. The stakes are high, the incentives to deceive are astronomical, and most information leaks are strategic. But there is plenty of reason to suspect that this might be the real deal. After all, Trump has been making all sorts of threats that turned out to be empty since the beginning of the "cease-fire," and has shown no real inclination to restart the war. 🚨 BREAKING: President Trump CONFIRMS a peace deal between the US and Iran has been “largely negotiated,” and could be finalized imminentlyAn announcement could...

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a fence-mending visit to the Vatican on Thursday to underscore strong bilateral ties, after U.S. President Donald Trump's broadsides against Pope Leo XIV for his opposition to the Iran war angered the Holy See and sparked ongoing sparring between them. The U.S. State Department said that the meetings with Leo and the Vatican's top diplomat covered peace in the Middle East and "underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See," and reflected the "enduring partnership" between them.

Pope Leo XIV made headlines recently by echoing, on social media, the words of Jesus Christ from His famous Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Many on the right took this as a jab at President Trump over the Iran war, and perhaps it was. But I’d like for a moment to set aside politics and focus on the words themselves. Because we who consider ourselves followers of Christ take those words very seriously, or at least we should. Of course, not all conservatives are Christians, but most at least embrace Judeo-Christian values. So, whether you believe Jesus...

Pope Leo XIV has sent 80 electric generators and thousands of medical supplies to Ukraine to help civilians cope with freezing winter temperatures and constant attacks, the Vatican announced on Feb. 9. The aid was arranged in response to appeals from bishops who warned of mounting difficulties caused by Russia’s attacks on energy infrastructure and subzero temperatures across the country. Three trucks carrying the generators and medical supplies departed from the Basilica of Saint Sophia in Rome and have already arrived in Fastiv and Kyiv, areas heavily affected by recent strikes. Alongside the generators, thousands of medical supplies were delivered,...

Dear brothers and sisters, Your prayer is an expression of that faith which, according to the words of Jesus, moves mountains (cf. Mt 17:20). Thank you for accepting this invitation to gather here at the tomb of Saint Peter and in so many other places around the world to pray for peace... In the context of the 2003 Iraq war crisis, Saint John Paul II, a tireless advocate for peace, said with deep emotion: “I belong to that generation that lived through World War II and, thanks be to God, survived it. I have the duty to say to all...

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, My heart is heavy as I look toward Lebanon – a land long marked by faith, suffering, and perseverance. Lebanon is not merely another nation in conflict. It is home to one of the oldest and largest Christian populations in the Middle East, where the name of Jesus Christ has been professed continuously since the earliest centuries of the Church. In that sacred land stands the shrine of St. Charbel Makhlouf, a humble monk whose life of prayer, penance, and Eucharistic devotion has borne extraordinary fruit. Known as the “miracle monk of Lebanon,”...

Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again Wednesday in response to Israeli attacks against the Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon, casting doubt over whether an already precarious ceasefire to end more than a month of war will hold. The United States and Iran both claimed victory after reaching the agreement, and world leaders expressed relief, even as more drones and missiles hit Iran and Gulf Arab countries. Israel also intensified its attacks in Lebanon, hitting several commercial and residential areas in Beirut without warning. At least 112 people were killed and hundreds were wounded in one of the deadliest days...

Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence (I conjure you to believe me, fellow-citizens) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government... Excessive partiality for one foreign nation and excessive dislike of another cause those whom they actuate to see danger only on one side, and serve to veil and even second the arts of influence on the other. Real patriots who may resist the intrigues of the favorite are liable to become suspected and odious, while its tools...

I urge everyone to accompany this moment of delicate diplomacy with prayer, in hopes that a willingness to dialogue may become the means to resolve other conflict situations in the world as well. #PrayTogether #Peace

Pope Leo XIV used his first Easter speech Sunday to deliver a resounding call for peace in times of renewed war, declaring, “Let those who have weapons lay them down!” On Palm Sunday, Leo said that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.” He quoted Isaiah 1:15: “Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen — your hands are full of blood.”