Pope Leo XIV Condemns U.S.-Israeli War in Iran

Pope Leo XIV delivered his strongest condemnation yet of the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, denouncing what he called the "delusion of omnipotence" fueling the conflict during a prayer vigil at St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday, according to multiple reports.

The first U.S.-born pope presided over an evening prayer service that coincided with the start of face-to-face negotiations between the United States and Iran in Pakistan and as a fragile ceasefire held, per AP News. Although Leo did not mention the United States or President Donald Trump by name, his tone and message appeared directed at them, criticizing officials who have boasted of U.S. military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.

"Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life," Leo said during the service, as reported by The Guardian. He called for all people of good will to pray for peace and demand an end to the war from their political leaders. The vigil featured Scripture readings and meditative recitation of the Rosary prayers, with simultaneous local prayer services held in the U.S. and beyond.

Leo has been increasingly vocal about the conflict, starting his criticism on Palm Sunday. This week, he called Trump's threat to annihilate Iranian civilization "truly unacceptable" and emphasized that God does not bless any war, especially those involving bombing campaigns, according to CBS News. The Vatican is particularly concerned about the spillover of Israel's war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, given the plight of Christian communities in the south.

The prayer service took place as Vice President JD Vance, senior envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Iranian leaders in Pakistan for direct talks. Trump warned Iran to comply with the ceasefire terms or face large-scale U.S. attacks, per CBS News. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has invoked Christian faith to cast the U.S. as a Christian nation trying to vanquish its foes, which Leo criticized as dragging "the holy Name of God" into discourses of death.

The White House defended Trump's actions, stating that all of his foreign policy moves have made the world safer and more prosperous. They highlighted Catholic support for Trump in the 2024 election and claimed a positive relationship with the Vatican, according to CBS News. Leo presided over the service sitting off to the side of the altar on a white throne, wearing his formal red cape and liturgical stole while praying with a rosary in his hands.

The Guardian reported that Pope Leo XIV's remarks came during face-to-face negotiations between U.S. and Iranian delegations in Pakistan to shore up a fragile truce. The U.S. delegation was led by Vice President JD Vance, whose new book is about his conversion to Catholicism. The talks occurred days after it was reported that Vance’s friend, Elbridge Colby, a senior Pentagon official who is also Catholic, had summoned the Vatican’s ambassador to the U.S. in January to rebuke him over comments by the pope that month.

Leo's tone and message on Saturday appeared aimed at Trump administration officials, who have boasted of U.S. military superiority and justified the war in religious terms. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has invoked his Christian faith to cast the U.S. as a Christian nation righteously seeking to vanquish its foes, describing the attack on Iran as a holy war carried out "in the name of Jesus Christ" and even compared the rescue of a downed F-15 airman in terms that echoed the resurrection of Jesus.

The pope said that those who pray "are aware of their own limitations. They do not kill or threaten with death. Instead, death enslaves those who have turned their backs on the living God, turning themselves and their own power into a mute, blind and deaf idol, to which they sacrifice every value, demanding that the whole world bend its knee."

As reported by The Guardian, Leo offered his homily at the tomb of St. Peter at a prayer vigil announced during the pope’s Easter Urbi et Orbi message. He was joined by parishes on every continent, and thousands attended St. Peter’s Basilica for an evening of rosary and meditation.

The effort to contest any religious justification for war was made before emissaries from both the U.S. and Iran: in the basilica pews were Laura Hochla, deputy chief of mission with the U.S. embassy to the Holy See, and the archbishop of Tehran, Belgian cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu.