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Pete Hegseth, the U.S. defense secretary, has asked the American people to pray “every day, on bended knee” for a military victory in the Middle East “in the name of Jesus Christ.”
Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pontiff, has a starkly different take on what should be done in Jesus’s name.
In a homily during a Mass on Thursday morning before Easter, the pope said that the Christian mission has often been “distorted by a desire for domination, entirely foreign to the way of Jesus Christ.”
Since the United States and Israel began bombing Iran in late February, the pope has consistently called for an end to the violence and a return to dialogue to resolve the conflict. But without naming Mr. Hegseth, he has also pointed out the ways in which Christianity has been marshaled for purposes that the pope says do not align with Catholic teaching.
“We tend to consider ourselves powerful when we dominate, victorious when we destroy our equals, great when we are feared,” the pope said in a homily during a Holy Thursday rite at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the bishop of Rome. “God has given us an example — not of how to dominate, but of how to liberate; not of how to destroy life, but of how to give it.”
In late March, the pope warned against invoking the name of Jesus for battle, saying in a Sunday homily that Jesus “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”
Throughout his first year as pontiff, Leo has been careful not to wade into U.S. politics and has avoided direct confrontation with the White House.
He has used his influence through proxies, such as when he encouraged U.S. bishops to strongly support immigrants last year as President Trump escalated his deportation campaign.
He has mentioned Mr. Trump only when asked directly by a reporter if he had a message for the U.S. president.
“I’m told that President Trump recently stated that he would like to end the war,” the pope said outside his country residence in Castel Gandolfo outside Rome on March 31. “Hopefully he’s looking for a way to, to decrease the amount of violence, of bombing.”
Pope Leo has said he has not spoken directly to Mr. Trump about the war. But he talked Friday morning by telephone with Isaac Herzog, president of Israel, and reiterated the importance of dialogue and ending the conflicts to secure a “just and lasting peace” in the Middle East, according to a Vatican statement.
More on the Fighting in the Middle East
Strait of Hormuz: Britain announced it would hold talks with military planners around the globe about securing the strait for shipping. Separately, Russia, China, and France effectively stymied a push by Arab countries to get the U.N. Security Council to authorize military action against Iran to reopen it.
Iranian Bridge: President Trump celebrated a strike on a highway bridge near Tehran and warned there was “much more to follow.” Iran state media said eight people had been killed in the attack and dozens wounded.
Attacks on Infrastructure: In Kuwait, an attack damaged a power and water desalination plant. Kuwait blamed Iran, which denied carrying out the attack.
The Iranian Diaspora: Divided by war in their native country, Iranians living abroad are navigating broken relationships and lost friendships.
Mood in Israel: A majority of Israelis support the war with Iran, but many doubt that it will solve Israel’s long-term security problems. Some also question their prime minister’s assurances and motives.
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Pope Leo, during the Holy Thursday Mass in Rome, said the Christian mission had often been “distorted by a desire for domination.” Credit…Vincenzo Livieri/Reuters
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