ROME – In a bold and impassioned statement, Pope Leo XIV on Saturday sharply criticized the “illusion of omnipotence” that he believes is driving the ongoing conflict between the United States and Israel in Iran. He called on global leaders to cease hostilities and pursue peace through negotiation.
The pontiff led an evening prayer service at St. Peter’s Basilica, coinciding with the beginning of direct talks between the U.S. and Iran in Pakistan and the maintenance of a tenuous ceasefire.
Pope Leo, the first American to hold the papacy, did not explicitly name the United States or President Donald Trump in his prayer, which had been scheduled prior to the announcement of the negotiations. Nevertheless, his pointed remarks seemed directed at Trump and U.S. officials, who have often cited military strength and religious justification for the conflict.
“Enough of the idolatry of self and money!” declared Leo. “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”
Among those present at the basilica was Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, the archbishop of Tehran. The United States was represented by Deputy Chief of Mission Laura Hochla, according to the U.S. Embassy.
Initially, during the early stages of the war, the Chicago-born Pope Leo refrained from outright condemnation, opting instead for cautious appeals for peace and dialogue. However, his stance has grown increasingly assertive since Palm Sunday. This week, he condemned Trump’s threats to “annihilate Iranian civilization” as “truly unacceptable” and urged for dialogue to take precedence over aggression.
On Saturday, Leo called for all people of good will to pray for peace and demand an end to war from their political leaders. The evening vigil in Rome, which featured Scripture readings and meditative recitation of the Rosary prayers, was taking place as simultaneous local prayer services were being held in the U.S. and beyond.
Praying for peace, Leo said, was a way to “break the demonic cycle of evil” to build instead the Kingdom of God where there are no swords, drones or “unjust profit.”
“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. “Even the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death.”
Leaders have used religion to justify their actions in the war. U.S. officials and especially Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have invoked their Christian faith to cast the U.S. as a Christian nation trying to vanquish its foes.
Leo has said God doesn’t bless any war, and certainly not those who drop bombs.
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 and praying with a Rosary in his hands. Many of the priests and nuns in the pews fingered Rosary beads as the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” prayers were recited.
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.
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