Pope Leo says God does not hear prayers from leaders who promote wars

Pope Leo XIV leads the Angelus prayer from the window of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File photo Pope Leo The statements came as Iran’s war entered its second month. Addressing tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square on Palm Sunday, the celebration that opens Holy Week before Easter for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, the pontiff called the conflict “atrocious” and said Jesus cannot be used to justify any wars. “This is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” said Leo. “(Jesus) does not hear the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Though you pray many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood,'” he said, citing a biblical passage. See the videos that are trending on g1 Leão did not specifically name any world leader, but has intensified his criticism of the war in Iran in recent weeks. During an appeal at the end of Sunday’s celebration, the pope lamented that Christians in the Middle East “are suffering the consequences of an atrocious conflict” and may not be able to celebrate Easter. The pope, who is known for choosing his words carefully, has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict and said on Monday that military airstrikes are indiscriminate and should be banned. Some U.S. officials have invoked Christian language to justify the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb. 28 that kicked off the expanding war. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who began leading Christian prayer services at the Pentagon, prayed at a service Wednesday for “overwhelming action violence against those who do not deserve mercy.” In his homily on Sunday, Leo referenced a biblical passage in which Jesus, about to be arrested before his crucifixion, rebuked one of his followers for striking the person arresting him with a sword. “(Jesus) did not arm himself, nor defend himself, nor fight any war,” Leo said. “He revealed the gentle face of God, who always rejects violence. Instead of saving himself, he allowed himself to be nailed to the cross.”

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