Pope Leo XIV issued his harshest condemnation of the Iran war yet, indirectly slamming the United States as a perpetrator of the “demonic cycle of evil” that is fueling the conflict.
His critical remarks came during an evening prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday at the same time that U.S. negotiators, led by Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, are taking part in Pakistan-mediated peace talks with Iranian officials.
Pope Leo said praying for peace should take precedence, and the Kingdom of God is paramount over worldly conflicts.
“It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive,” he said without referencing the U.S. or naming President Donald Trump. “Even the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death.”
“Enough of the idolatry of self and money,” he added. “Enough of the display of power. Enough of war.”
Pope Leo said on Friday that God doesn’t bless any war or nations that “drop bombs.” Instead of military action, he called for “coexistence and dialogue” to make way for peace.
Earlier in the week, the pontiff criticized Trump’s threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight” before the two-week ceasefire deal was ultimately made.
“Today, as we all know, there has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran,” he said on Tuesday. “And this is truly unacceptable. There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more, it is a moral question concerning the good of the people as a whole, in its entirety.”
The American pope became increasingly critical of the Trump administration two weeks ago on Palm Sunday when he denounced the U.S. and Israel for attacking Iran. He also took issue with the U.S. invoking Jesus to justify the war.
While delivering press conferences on the Iran war, War Secretary Pete Hegseth has frequently referenced his Christian faith and prayed for God to strike down the nation’s enemies.
US, IRAN, AND PAKISTAN HOLD DIRECT THREE-WAY TALKS IN ISLAMABAD
The Vatican has been especially alarmed by Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, where large numbers of civilians were caught in the crossfire this week despite the U.S.-Iran ceasefire. Israel heavily bombed Beirut to take out Hezbollah. The Vatican maintains close ties with Lebanon, which has a minority of Christians in the south, bordering Israel.
The ceasefire does not cover Lebanon, based on U.S. statements, although Iran disputes that. A separate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has not been announced yet, but one may come out of a scheduled meeting between representatives from both nations in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. The peace talks in Islamabad are ongoing.
