Overview
- Speaking to tens of thousands in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, Pope Leo said Jesus cannot be used to justify war and warned that God rejects the prayers of those who wage it.
- The remarks were widely read as a rebuke to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who days earlier prayed at the Pentagon for "overwhelming violence of action" against enemies.
- Following Sunday’s homily, the White House on Monday defended calls to pray for U.S. troops, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying service members welcome such support.
- Leo urged an immediate ceasefire and prayed for those harmed, naming Christians in the Middle East, merchant seafarers killed or stranded by fighting, and migrants lost at sea.
- Commentators said the first U.S.-born pope’s stance could shape debate over the Iran war, as he also presses for a ban on indiscriminate airstrikes and greater focus on civilians.