Pope Leo XIV has issued his strongest condemnation yet of the “delusion of omnipotence” he believes is fueling the US-Israel war in Iran, demanding political leaders halt hostilities and negotiate for peace.
The pontiff presided over an evening prayer service in St Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, coinciding with the start of face-to-face negotiations between the United States and Iran in Pakistan, as a fragile ceasefire held.
While the first US-born Pope did not explicitly name the United States or Donald Trump in his prayer, which was planned before the talks were announced, his tone and message appeared directly aimed at Trump and US officials.
These officials have frequently boasted of U.S. military superiority and sought to justify the conflict in religious terms.
“Enough of the idolatry of self and money!” Pope Leo declared. “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”
Among those present in the basilica pews were the Archbishop of Tehran, Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, and Laura Hochla, the U.S. Embassy’s deputy chief of mission, representing the U.S. diplomatic corps.
In the initial weeks of the conflict, the Chicago-born Pope Leo had been hesitant to publicly denounce the violence, limiting his comments to muted calls for peace and dialogue. However, his criticism intensified from Palm Sunday onwards.
Earlier this week, he branded Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization as “truly unacceptable” and urged dialogue to prevail.
On Saturday, Pope Leo called upon all people of good will to pray for peace and to demand an end to the war from their political leaders. The vigil in Rome, featuring Scripture readings and meditative Rosary prayers, was mirrored by simultaneous local prayer services across the US and beyond.
Praying for peace, Pope Leo explained, was a means to “break the demonic cycle of evil” and instead build the Kingdom of God, a realm free from 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 stated. “Even the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death.”
Leaders have frequently invoked religion to justify their actions in the war. U.S. officials, notably Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have cited their Christian faith to portray the US as a Christian nation striving to vanquish its adversaries.
Pope Leo has consistently maintained that God does not bless any war, and certainly not those who drop bombs.
During the service, Pope Leo sat on a white throne to the side of the altar, dressed in his formal red cape and liturgical stole, praying with a Rosary in his hands. Many priests and nuns in the congregation also fingered Rosary beads as the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” prayers were recited.
The Vatican holds particular concern regarding the potential spillover of Israel’s war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, especially given the precarious situation of Christian communities in the south.
