Pope warns that God will ‘reject’ the prayers of leaders who ‘wage war’
Pope Leo said God rejects the prayers of war-starting leaders and they have “blood on their hands” to preachily condemn the Iran war.
Pope Leo, in an unusually powerful statement as the Iran war enters its second month, said God rejects the prayers of leaders whose “hands are covered in blood” after starting the war.
Addressing tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square on Palm Sunday, the celebration marking the start of Holy Week leading up to Easter for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, the Pope called the conflict “terrible” and said Jesus cannot be used to justify any war.
“This is our God, Jesus, the King of Peace, who rejects war. No one can use him to justify war,” Leo, the first U.S. pope, told a crowd in bright sunlight on March 29.
Quoting a Bible verse, he said, “(Jesus) does not listen to the prayers of those who make war, but rejects them, saying, “No matter how many times you pray, I will not listen. Your hands are covered in blood.”
Although Leo did not specifically name any world leaders, he has stepped up his criticism of the Iran war in recent weeks.
In an appeal after Sunday’s celebrations, the pope lamented that Christians in the Middle East are “suffering from the effects of brutal conflicts” and may not be able to celebrate Easter.
The pope, known for choosing his words carefully, has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict and last week said military airstrikes are indiscriminate and should be banned.
Some U.S. officials have invoked Christianity to justify the Feb. 28 joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran that sparked the escalation of the war.
Pope Leo calls for ceasefire and condemns violence in Middle East
Pope Leo made an impassioned appeal for an immediate ceasefire in the growing war in Iran, criticizing the “brutal violence” across the region.
Secretary Pete Hegseth, who began leading Christian prayer services at the Pentagon, recently prayed in a service against “overwhelming acts of violence against people who don’t deserve mercy.”
In his Sunday sermon, Leo referred to a Bible passage in which Jesus, about to be arrested before his crucifixion, rebukes one of his followers for striking his arrester with a sword.
“(Jesus) didn’t take up arms, defend himself, or wage war,” Leo said. “He revealed the gentle face of God, who always rejects violence. Rather than save himself, he allowed himself to be nailed to the cross.”
