Pope Leo XIV rejected claims that God justifies war during his Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and Russia’s yearslong war with Ukraine.
Leo, the first American-born Pope in the history of the papacy, insisted that God is the “king of peace” and rejects violence and comforts the oppressed.
“Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” Leo said via the Associated Press. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”
Leaders on both sides of the Iran war have used religion to justify their actions, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and several other U.S. officials having invoked their Christian faith to vanquish adversaries through military operations. The Kremlin has also claimed that its invasion of Ukraine was a “holy war,” which had been justified by Russia’s Orthodox Church.
Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem prior to his crucifixion, which is observed by Christians on Good Friday and his resurrection is acknowledged on Easter Sunday. The Pope’s Palm Sunday Mass included a procession with cardinals, bishops, priests and laypeople carrying olive branches and palm fronds into St. Peter’s Square.
Holy Week began last year as Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, was recovering from a five-week hospital stay for double pneumonia at the Vatican. Francis died Easter Morning in 2025 after suffering from a stroke, with Leo being elected on May 8.
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