Monday, March 30, 2026 - Pope Leo used his Palm Sunday address to deliver a pointed condemnation of war, saying God rejects the prayers of leaders whose “hands are full of blood” as the conflict involving Iran entered its second month.
Speaking before tens of thousands in St Peter’s Square, the
pontiff said Jesus could not be invoked to justify violence.
“This is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war,
whom no one can use to justify war,” Pope Leo told the crowd gathered in bright
sunshine for the start of Holy Week. He added that God “does not listen to the
prayers of those who wage war but rejects them, saying, ‘Even though you make
many prayers, I will not listen: Your hands are full of blood’.”
Although the Pope did not name any leader directly, the
remarks came amid escalating criticism from the Vatican over the Iran war. In
recent weeks, he has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire and denounced
military air strikes as indiscriminate.
In his latest appeal, Pope Leo returned to the example of
Jesus in the final hours before his arrest and crucifixion, saying force was
never part of his message. “(Jesus) did not arm himself, or defend himself, or
fight any war,” he said. “He revealed the gentle face of God, who always
rejects violence. Rather than saving himself, he allowed himself to be nailed
to the cross.”
The unusually direct comments underscored the Vatican’s
growing alarm over the conflict, as some political figures have increasingly
used religious language in defence of military action.
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