Palm Sunday mass: Pope Leo condemns using God to justify war

Palm Sunday Mass: Pope Leo Condemns War Justification Through Divine Authority

During the Palm Sunday Mass, Pope Leo XIV denounced the notion that God sanctions warfare, declaring that Jesus, the King of Peace, actively opposes conflict. The pontiff’s remarks came as the Iran war entered its second month, highlighting the growing tension in the region. Addressing a crowd of tens of thousands in St. Peter’s Square, Leo emphasized that no form of war should be legitimized by invoking divine authority.

“Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” Leo said. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood,’” he added, referencing a biblical verse.

The pope also expressed particular concern for Christians in the Middle East, who are enduring the fallout of a brutal conflict. “They are suffering the consequences of an atrocious conflict. In many cases, they cannot fully observe the rites of these holy days,” he noted during a concluding appeal. This call for compassion aligns with his repeated demands for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing war.

Leo’s critique extended to military actions, as he condemned airstrikes as indiscriminate and urged their prohibition. “Airplanes should always be carriers of peace, never of war. No one should fear threats of death and destruction from the sky,” he stated, though his remarks did not directly target the Iran conflict. Meanwhile, some U.S. officials have leveraged Christian rhetoric to justify the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes launched on February 28.

At a religious service held at the Pentagon on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth invoked divine language, praying for “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.” This underscores the divide between the pope’s pacifist stance and the strategic use of religious narratives by certain political figures.