2 months ago
1
Pope Leo said connected Sunday (March 29, 2026) that God rejects the prayers of leaders who commencement wars and person "hands afloat of blood", successful unusually forceful remarks arsenic the Iran warfare entered its 2nd month.
Addressing tens of thousands successful St. Peter's Square connected Palm Sunday, the solemnisation that opens the beatified week starring up to Easter for the world's 1.4 cardinal Catholics, the pontiff called the struggle "atrocious" and said Jesus cannot beryllium utilized to warrant immoderate wars.
Iran-Israel warfare updates connected March 29, 2026
"This is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom nary 1 tin usage to warrant war," Leo, the archetypal U.S. pope, told crowds successful superb sunshine.
"[Jesus] does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: 'Even though you marque galore prayers, I volition not listen: your hands are afloat of blood'," helium said, citing a Bible passage.
Pope Leo did not specifically name immoderate satellite leaders, but helium has been ramping up criticism of the Iran warfare successful caller weeks.
During an entreaty astatine the extremity of Sunday's celebration, the pope lamented that Christians successful the Middle East "are suffering the consequences of an atrocious conflict" and whitethorn not beryllium capable to observe Easter.
The pope, who is known for choosing his words carefully, has repeatedly called for an contiguous ceasefire successful the struggle and said connected Monday (March 23, 2026) that subject airstrikes are indiscriminate and should beryllium banned.
Some U.S. officials person invoked Christian connection to warrant the associated U.S.-Israeli strikes connected Iran connected February 28 that initiated the expanding war.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has started starring Christian supplication services astatine the Pentagon, prayed astatine a work connected Wednesday (March 25, 2026) for "overwhelming unit of enactment against those who merit nary mercy".
In his homily connected Sunday (March 29, 2026), Pope Leo referenced a Bible transition successful which Jesus, astir to beryllium arrested up of his crucifixion, rebuked 1 of his followers for striking the idiosyncratic arresting him with a sword.
"[Jesus] did not limb himself, or support himself, oregon combat immoderate war," Leo said. "He revealed the gentle look of God, who ever rejects violence. Rather than saving himself, helium allowed himself to beryllium nailed to the cross."
