“[Jesus]
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:
our
hands are full of blood’,” he said, citing a passage from the Bible.
Pope Leo XIV
Pope says God rejects
prayers of those who wage wars
Joshua McElwee
Mar 30, 2026 ….
Source: Al Jazeera
Pope Leo says God rejects the prayers of leaders who
start wars and have “hands full of blood” in in unusually forceful remarks as
the Iran war enters its second month.
Addressing tens of thousands of people in St Peter’s
Square on Palm Sunday, the celebration that opens the holiest week of the year
in the lead-up to Easter for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, the pontiff
said Jesus could not be used to justify any wars.
“This is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects
war, whom no one can use to justify war,” the first
US Pope told crowds in brilliant sunshine on Sunday (local time).
Palm Sunday begins the
holiest week of the year for 1.4 billion Catholics
ahead of Easter. Photo:
AAP
“[Jesus] 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’,” he said, citing a passage from the
Bible.
Leo did not specifically name any world
leaders, but he has stepped up criticism of the
Iran war in recent weeks.
During an appeal at the end of Sunday’s celebration,
the Pope lamented that Christians in the Middle East “are
suffering the consequences of an atrocious conflict” and might not be able to celebrate Easter.
The Pope, who is known for choosing his words carefully, has repeatedly called for
an immediate ceasefire in the conflict and said on Monday military air strikes were indiscriminate and should be banned.
Some US officials have invoked Christian language to
justify the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 that initiated the
expanding war.
US Defence Secretary
Pete Hegseth, who has started leading Christian prayer services at the Pentagon, prayed at a service on
Wednesday for “overwhelming violence of action against those who
deserve no mercy”.
In his homily on Sunday, Leo referenced a Bible
passage in which Jesus, about to be arrested ahead of his crucifixion, rebuked
one of his followers for striking the person arresting him with a sword.
“[Jesus] did not arm himself, or defend himself, or fight any war,” Leo said.
“He revealed the gentle face of God, who always rejects violence. Rather than saving himself, he
allowed himself to be nailed to the cross.”
—AAP
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