Pope Leo XIV took a firm stand against the notion that divine will can be used to justify warfare, delivering a poignant message during a Palm Sunday Mass held in St. Peter’s Square. In front of tens of thousands of attendees, he highlighted the plight of Christians in the Middle East, emphasizing the need for peace.

Addressing the congregation, the Pope spoke against the backdrop of the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, now in its second month, and the persistent Russian military actions in Ukraine. He dedicated his sermon to remind the faithful that God embodies peace and stands with those who suffer from violence and oppression.

“Dear brothers and sisters, our God is Jesus, the King of Peace, who stands firmly against war,” Pope Leo declared. “No one can claim divine support for acts of war, as God turns a deaf ear to those who choose violence over peace.”

Throughout the ongoing conflict with Iran, leaders have frequently invoked religious rhetoric. U.S. officials, notably Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have framed their military actions as a defense of Christian values, portraying the war as a righteous struggle against adversaries.

Similarly, the Russian Orthodox Church has depicted Russia’s incursion into Ukraine as a “holy war,” contending that they are battling against a morally corrupt Western world.

Palm Sunday, an important event in the Christian calendar, commemorates Jesus’ celebrated entry into Jerusalem, leading up to his crucifixion and subsequent resurrection, events that are solemnly observed on Good Friday and joyously celebrated on Easter Sunday.

In a special blessing at the end of Mass, Leo said he was praying especially for Christians in the Middle East who are “suffering the consequences of an atrocious conflict. In many cases, they cannot live fully the rites of these holy days.”

Earlier Sunday, the Latin Patriarchate said Jerusalem police prevented the Catholic church’s top leadership from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It was the first time in centuries church leaders were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday at the place where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, the Patriarchate said.

Leo said that during Holy Week, Christians cannot forget how many people around the world are suffering as Christ did. “Their trials appeal to the conscience of all. Let us raise our prayers to the Prince of Peace so that he may support people wounded by war and open concrete paths of reconciliation and peace,” Leo said.

A Holy Week that recalls Pope Francis’ suffering

When Holy Week opened last year, Pope Francis was still recovering at the Vatican after a five-week hospital stay for double pneumonia. He had delegated the liturgical celebrations to others, but rallied on Easter Sunday to greet the faithful from the loggia of St. Peter’s Square. Most poignantly, he then made what became his final popemobile loop around the piazza.

Francis died the following morning, Easter Monday, after suffering a stroke. His nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, later told Vatican Media that Francis had told him: “Thank you for bringing me back to the square” for the final salute.

Leo is due to preside over this week’s liturgical appointments and is returning to tradition with the Holy Thursday foot-washing ceremony that commemorates Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples.

During his 12-year pontificate, Francis famously celebrated the Holy Thursday ritual by traveling to Rome-area prisons and refugee centers to wash the feet of people most on society’s margins. His aim was to drive home the ritual’s message of service and humility, and he would frequently muse during his Holy Thursday homilies “Why them and not me?”

Francis’ gesture had been praised as a tangible evidence of his belief that the church must go to the peripheries to find those most in need of God’s love and mercy. But some critics bristled at the annual outings, especially since Francis would also wash the feet of Muslims and people of other faiths.

Leo restores Holy Week foot-washing tradition

Leo, history’s first U.S.-born pope, is returning the Holy Thursday foot-washing tradition to the basilica of St. John Lateran, where popes performed it for decades. The Vatican hasn’t yet said who will participate, though Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II normally washed the feet of 12 priests.

On Friday, Leo is due to preside over the Good Friday procession at Rome’s Colosseum commemorating Christ’s Passion and crucifixion. Saturday brings the late night Easter Vigil, during which Leo will baptize new Catholics, followed a few hours later by Easter Sunday when Christians commemorate the resurrection of Jesus.

Leo will celebrate Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square and then deliver his Easter blessing from the loggia of the basilica.

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