The Dalai Lama has endorsed Pope Leo XIV’s call to end violence, aligning with the pontiff’s Palm Sunday appeal urging the world to “lay down your weapons” as conflicts intensify globally.
In a message dated March 31, the Tibetan spiritual leader said he “wholeheartedly endorse[s] the powerful appeal for peace made by the Holy Father, Pope Leo, during his Palm Sunday Mass,” underscoring a shared moral rejection of violence across religions.
The convergence of appeals from two global religious figures comes as wars in the Middle East and between Russia and Ukraine continue to drive civilian suffering and deepen instability, placing renewed focus on moral calls for peace.
During his Palm Sunday homily in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo described Jesus as “King of Peace” and issued a direct appeal: “Lay down your weapons! Remember that you are brothers and sisters!”
He stressed that Christ “rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” and warned against cycles of violence, recalling that “all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”
The Dalai Lama said the pope’s message “resonated profoundly with me, as it speaks to the very essence of what all major religions teach.”
“Indeed, whether we look to Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, or any of the world’s great spiritual traditions, the message is fundamentally the same: love, compassion, tolerance, and self-discipline,” he said.
“Violence finds no true home in any of these teachings. History has shown us time and again that violence only begets more violence and is never a lasting foundation for peace,” he added.
He said that resolving ongoing conflicts requires dialogue and mutual understanding.
“An enduring resolution to conflict, including the ones we see in the Middle East or between Russia and Ukraine, must be rooted in dialogue, diplomacy and mutual respect — approached with the understanding that, at the deepest level, we are all brothers and sisters,” said Dalai Lama.
In his homily, the pope also pointed to the human cost of war, saying that in Christ’s suffering “we can see a crucified humanity,” where “we hear the weeping of those who are crushed, who have no hope, who are sick and who are alone.”
As violence continues across regions, the Dalai Lama said he “urge[s] for and pray[s] that the violence and conflicts may soon come to an end.
