Pope Leo XIV claimed on Sunday that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war” as ongoing conflicts in the Middle East continue to dominate global headlines. 

In a homily delivered at his first Palm Sunday mass since becoming the 267th head of the Roman Catholic Church, the pontiff identified Jesus Christ as a “king of peace even as war looms around Him.” 

Jesus “did not arm Himself or defend Himself or fight any war” but rather “revealed the gentle face of God who always rejects violence,” Leo added. “Rather than saving Himself, He allowed Himself to be nailed to the cross, embracing every cross borne in every time and place throughout human history.”

Reiterating that Jesus is the “king of peace who rejects war,” the pontiff insisted that “He 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.’” 

“We hear the painful groans of all those who are oppressed by violence and are victims of war,” Leo declared. “God is love; have mercy, lay down your weapons, remember that you are brothers and sisters.”

The pope then offered a prayer that “death will no longer hold sway over us, that the injustices of peoples are numbered … that the flares of war are fading into the twilight.” 

Later, toward the conclusion of the mass, Leo proclaimed solidarity with Christians in the Middle East, noting that they are “suffering the consequences of a terrible conflict and in many cases, they cannot fully celebrate the rites of this Holy Week.” He called for Catholics worldwide to “raise our supplication to the Prince of Peace so that He may sustain the peoples wounded by war and open concrete paths of reconciliation and peace.” 

The pontiff’s message about war comes a month after targeted airstrikes from the United States and Israel led to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of other top officials in the country’s theocratic regime. Prolonged conflict has engulfed the region in the weeks that followed. 

As the U.S. continues military operations in Iran, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has repeatedly sought divine intervention and invoked Scripture when speaking about the war. At a Pentagon prayer service last week, Hegseth read aloud from Psalm 18, which states: “I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed. I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet.”

As Leo celebrated Palm Sunday mass in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, another top Catholic Church leader was unable to participate in festivities marking the first day of Holy Week as planned. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, was denied access to lead Palm Sunday mass at the historic and sacred Church of the Holy Sepulchre after Israeli police turned him away, citing concerns for his safety.

All Holy Sites in Jerusalem have been closed since the outbreak of the Iran War. 

Following international backlash, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to X to announce that “as soon as I learned about the incident with Cardinal Pizzaballa, I instructed the authorities to enable the Patriarch to hold services as he wishes.” Netanyahu vowed that the Israeli government would work to ensure that Catholics could worship at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during the rest of Holy Week. 

Leo’s comments about war also drew pushback from some Christian public figures, including conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey. In an X post on Sunday, Stuckey wrote, “There is absolutely no biblical basis for this.” 

“Christians should strive for peace, yes. We don’t revel in death and destruction. And a Christian could make a sound argument against the particulars of many wars through history, including the war with Iran today. A Christian could also agree that God shouldn’t be used to justify unjust wars,” she added.

Stuckey also cited Exodus 15:3, which states, “The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is His name,” to defend the view of Christians who say  “sometimes force is necessary to defeat evil and advance good,” asserting that it doesn't contradict Christian teaching.

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