TEHRAN – Iran’s Holy Sea Ambassador Hojatres Mohammad Hossein Moktalli met with Pope Leo XIV at a gathering of Vatican-certified diplomats on Saturday.
The conference highlighted hopes for greater cultural, religious and diplomatic cooperation between Iran’s Islamic Republic and the Holy See under the new Pope See.
Congratulations to Ambassador Moftari on his election as the 267th leader of the Catholic Church. He expressed his optimism that “a fresh path will emerge in this new leadership chapter to expand the interaction between Iran and the Vatican.”
He emphasized the possibility that interfaith cooperation could “play an effective role in strengthening peace, justice and coexistence,” and coincided with Iran’s longstanding defense of inter-civilization dialogue.
Pope Leo XIV speaks to the diplomats in his first major audience since the election, explaining his mission in the context of the ongoing Jubilee Year of Hope, calling it “an opportunity to leave conversion, renewal and conflict.”
While the bishop was named “Ukraine and the Holy Land (Palestine),” he reiterated his commitment to multilateral diplomacy and disarmament, stressing that peace must be launched, especially in areas that are “the most severely struggling.”
The conference followed Pope Leo XIV’s appeal against an earlier immediate ceasefire in Gaza. In his first speech by Regina Koeli, he urged access to humanitarian aid, emphasizing that “it will never be in war again!”
Former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevast Pope Leo XIV took on the Pope See on May 8th after Pope Francis’ death.
His inauguration mass, scheduled for May 28th, is expected to mark the formal start of his leadership and attract international officials, including Reza Salehi Amiri, the country’s leading minister of cultural heritage.
The pope, who holds dual US and Peruvian citizenship, prioritizes themes of inter-religious dialogue and social justice, resonates with Iran’s diplomatic agenda.
In his speech to the diplomats, the Pope emphasized the three pillars of his mission: peace, justice and truth.
He described peace as a “positive and demanding gift,” demanding humility and dialogue, urging governments to address global inequality and invest in their families as a social foundation.