Pope Leo XIV declared in his Palm Sunday sermon that God rejects the prayers of leaders who start wars and have "hands covered with blood." He was responding to the fact that the war in Iran has entered its second month.
Speaking to tens of thousands of people in St Peter's Square in Rome, the Pope stressed that Jesus cannot be used to justify any wars. "This is our God: Jesus, the King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war," Leo XIV said.
"(Jesus) does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: 'Even if you pray so many more times, I will not hear you: your hands are full of blood,'" he stated, referring to a biblical passage.
The Pope did not specifically mention any world leaders. But in recent weeks he has stepped up his criticism of the war in Iran. The pontiff, who is known for choosing his words carefully, has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict and has insisted that military air strikes are indiscriminate and should be banned.
In fact, some U.S. officials have invoked Christian rhetoric to justify the joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28 that kicked off the widening war. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has begun leading Christian prayer services at the Pentagon, prayed for "overwhelming violence against those who deserve no mercy" at Wednesday's service.
On Sunday, Leo XIV quoted a biblical passage in which Jesus, just before his crucifixion, rebuked one of his followers for striking with a sword a person who was arresting him. "(Jesus) did not arm himself, he did not defend himself or wage any war," the Pope insisted. "He revealed the gentle face of God, who always rejects violence. Instead of saving himself, he allowed himself to be nailed to the cross," he quoted from the Bible.
He concluded by expressing regret that Christians in the Middle East "are suffering the consequences of a terrible conflict" and may not be able to celebrate Easter.