Pope Leo XIV: “No One Can Use God to Justify War”

​VATICAN CITY — Amidst the darkening shadows of a dual-front global crisis, Pope Leo XIV used his Palm Sunday homily to deliver a blistering rejection of “holy wars,” asserting that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”

​Speaking to tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the Chicago-born Pontiff addressed the world at a historical breaking point. The conflict between the U.S.-Israeli coalition and Iran has officially entered its second month, marked by recent strikes on Iranian nuclear and energy infrastructure. Simultaneously, the four-year-old war in Ukraine continues to escalate, with the UN warning this week that the violence is “worse than ever.”

​A Divine Rejection of Violence

​The Pope’s message was a direct challenge to political and religious leaders who have invoked faith to sanctify military action. Without naming specific officials, Leo XIV pointedly critiqued the growing trend of “religious nationalism” in modern warfare.

ADVERTISEMENT

​”Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” the Pope declared from the flower-decked parvise. His words come as defense officials in the U.S. and clergy within the Russian Orthodox Church have faced international scrutiny for using theological rhetoric to frame their respective military campaigns.

​Compassion for the Oppressed

​Leo XIV, the first U.S. citizen to lead the Catholic Church, emphasized that the divine role is to “comfort those who are oppressed,” rather than empower the aggressor. He offered a special blessing for Christians in the Middle East, many of whom have been displaced or prevented from celebrating Holy Week due to the “atrocious conflict.”

​The homily marks the beginning of the most intense period of the liturgical calendar. As the world watches the escalating tensions in the Middle East and the grinding attrition in Eastern Europe, the Pope’s “unarmed and disarming” message serves as a plea for a return to diplomacy over “sharpening swords.”