BREAKING: Pope Leo XIV Tells Trump God Doesn’t Answer the Prayers of Warmongers
Pope Leo XIV used his Palm Sunday address to deliver a scathing moral rebuke of the U.S.-led war in Iran, warning that God refuses to hear the prayers of those whose hands are stained with blood. The Chicago-born pontiff, speaking to thousands of worshipers ahead of Easter, invoked the prophet Isaiah to make clear that war and Christianity cannot be reconciled.
“Jesus is the King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” Pope Leo said. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”
The address carried unmistakable weight given what U.S. military commanders have been doing since the offensive against Iran began on February 28th alongside Israeli forces.
Multiple commanders reportedly told troops the operation was part of “God’s divine plan,” with some invoking Armageddon and the return of Jesus Christ as recruiting tools. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation says it received over 200 calls from active-duty personnel stationed across 50 military installations after those remarks spread.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also publicly prayed for the military to use “overwhelming violence” in Iran during a Pentagon Christian worship service held after the war began.
Pope Leo called on those bearing responsibility for the conflict to examine their conscience, asking pointedly whether they had the humility to seek confession. He expressed grief for what he called a “crucified humanity” and urged warmongers to lay down their weapons and remember their common humanity.
The war has now claimed more than 2,500 lives across Iran and Lebanon, including at least 13 American service members. The Israeli military also targeted and killed three Lebanese journalists over the weekend.
Pope Leo has previously called the conflict “atrocious” and has repeatedly demanded a ceasefire, positioning himself as one of the most prominent moral voices pushing back against the administration’s Middle East policy.