Pope Leo XIV, without mentioning any names, continues during Holy Week to reject the various assertions coming from Washington, ‘God is with’ the U.S.-Israel war against Iran. For example, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently called on the American people to pray “every day, on bended knee” for a military victory in the Middle East “in the name of Jesus Christ.”
The Pope on Holy Thursday said explicitly that the Christian mission has often been “distorted by a desire for domination, entirely foreign to the way of Jesus Christ.” In his homily during the service at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, he said, “God has given us an example—not of how to dominate, but of how to liberate; not of how to destroy life, but of how to give it.” He elaborated, “We tend to consider ourselves powerful when we dominate, victorious when we destroy our equals, great when we are feared.”
Today, on Good Friday, he spoke by phone with Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel, and reiterated the importance of dialogue, and of ending the conflicts, in order to secure a “just and lasting peace” in the Middle East. This was reported in a Vatican statement. He called on Israel to “reopen all paths of dialogue” to end the Iran war, to protect civilians, and to promote respect for international and humanitarian law, the Vatican said.
Also today, the Pontiff spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky, acting President of Ukraine. According to a statement by the Holy See Press Office, “During the cordial conversation, the Holy Father extended his best wishes for the Easter holidays and reaffirmed his closeness to the Ukrainian people…. They then discussed the humanitarian situation, emphasizing the urgency of ensuring that the necessary aid reaches the people suffering from the conflict.”
Finally, the Vatican statement concluded, “hope was once again expressed that, with the commitment and cooperation of the international community, hostilities may cease as soon as possible and a just and lasting peace may be achieved.”
