Pope Leo has cautioned against using religion to justify violence, delivering what appeared to be yet another thinly-veiled rebuke of the ongoing Iran war.
“Without a change of direction in the assumption of political responsibility, and without respect for institutions and international agreements, humanity's destiny risks being tragically compromised,” the leader of the Catholic church said Tuesday.
“God does not want this,” the pontiff continued. “His holy Name must not be profaned by the desire for domination, arrogance, or discrimination. Above all, it must never be invoked to justify death-dealing choices and actions.”
The American-born Pope’s latest remarks come after the senior members of the Trump administration — particularly Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — have repeatedly invoked Christianity in the context of the Iran conflict, which has engulfed large swaths of the Middle East in violence.
In early March, Hegseth insisted that God stands with the U.S. against Iran, a Muslim-majority nation of some 90 million people. During a Pentagon prayer service later in the month, he implored God to: “Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation” and asked that “wicked souls be delivered to the eternal damnation prepared for them.”
Last week, at a press briefing on the war, Hegseth delivered a blistering biblical critique of journalists over their coverage, comparing the press corps to the Pharisees, a religious group cast as opponents of Jesus in the New Testament.
Military and constitutional experts have derided the Pentagon chief’s comments as an unprecedented breakdown of the barrier between church and state and even some Trump allies have criticized them.
“My observation or recommendation: I don’t think I would start that with some references to the New Testament,” Steve Bannon, a right-wing media personality, said during an episode of his podcast posted on Thursday. “My two cents: We ought to tone that down and focus, when we got the Pentagon, let’s have a military briefing.”
A Pentagon spokesperson previously told The Independent that Hegseth “is a proud Christian” and that his remarks are far from unusual.
The pope’s latest rebuke also appears to extend a lengthy dispute between the Vatican and the White House over the Iran war.
President Donald Trump recently fired off a stunning 334-word diatribe against the pope, describing him as “terrible for Foreign Policy.”
“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” he continued. Shortly afterward, he posted an AI-generated image appearing to depict himself as Jesus — which was later deleted.
The Pope has never said Iran has a right to possess nuclear weapons.
A few days later, Vice President JD Vance warned the pope to “be careful” when opining on matters of theology, insisting that some wars are justified.
Leo, for his part, has said he will not be silenced.
“I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do,” the Bishop of Rome told reporters last week. “I don’t want to get into a debate with [Trump].”
Last month, he wrote on X that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.” He also described Trump’s earlier threat to wipe out “an entire civilization” in Iran as “truly unacceptable.”
Multiple polls indicate a majority of Americans are opposed to the Iran war.
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