Pope Rebukes War-Mongering Leaders as US Tensions Rise

During Palm Sunday Mass, Pope Leo XIV condemned leaders who wage war, saying God does not listen to prayers from those with hands full of blood and that Jesus rejected violence. Not naming any government, his remarks appeared to rebuke the Trump administration as US troops build up in the Middle East and after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s call for violence. He urged a ceasefire, a ban on aerial bombing, and concrete steps toward peace, amid broader Iran-Israel-US tensions and Easter concerns for Christians in the region.