Pope Leo XIV slams US-Israeli war in Iran, demands peace talks

In his most forceful stance to date, Pope Leo XIV on Saturday condemned the “delusion of omnipotence” driving the U.S.-Israel war in Iran and called on political leaders to cease hostilities and pursue peace through negotiation.

The pontiff presided over an evening prayer service at St. Peter’s Basilica coinciding with the start of direct U.S.-Iran negotiations in Pakistan amid a tenuous ceasefire. While Leo did not explicitly name the United States or President Donald Trump during the prayer service, his message appeared targeted at U.S. leadership, which has justified the conflict in religious terms and boasted about American military dominance.

“Enough of the idolatry of self and money!” Leo declared. “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”

Among those present in the basilica was Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, the archbishop of Tehran. The United States was represented by Laura Hochla, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy, according to embassy officials.

Leo, the first American-born pope in Catholic history, initially offered only restrained calls for peace and dialogue in the early stages of the conflict. However, his criticism intensified beginning on Palm Sunday. Earlier this week, he characterized Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization as “truly unacceptable” and emphasized the importance of diplomatic dialogue.

Saturday’s vigil in Rome featured Scripture readings and meditative recitation of the Rosary prayers, with concurrent prayer services held across the United States and internationally. The pontiff urged all people of goodwill to pray for peace and demand their political leaders end the war.

“It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive,” Leo stated during the service. “Even the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death.”

The pope’s comments address how religious justifications have been employed by leaders to validate military actions. U.S. officials, particularly Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have invoked their Christian faith to portray America as a Christian nation fighting against its enemies. In response, Leo has consistently maintained that God blesses no war, especially not those who deploy bombs.

Throughout the service, Leo sat on a white throne adjacent to the altar, dressed in his formal red cape and liturgical stole, praying with a Rosary in hand. Many clergy members and nuns in attendance also used Rosary beads while reciting the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” prayers.

The Vatican has expressed particular concern about the regional escalation of conflict, especially regarding Israel’s war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, given the vulnerable position of Christian communities in southern Lebanon. The spread of hostilities threatens these already precarious religious minorities in a region with diminishing Christian populations.

This escalating papal criticism comes at a critical juncture in Middle Eastern geopolitics, with the U.S.-Iran talks representing the first direct diplomatic engagement between the adversaries since hostilities began. Analysts note that the pope’s increasingly pointed language reflects growing Vatican concern about the humanitarian toll of the conflict and its potential to trigger wider regional destabilization.

Pope Leo XIV’s Chicago roots have added a complex dimension to his papacy during this conflict involving his native country. While initially treading carefully in his statements about U.S. military actions, his evolution toward more direct criticism signals the Vatican’s prioritization of peace advocacy over diplomatic caution.

Religious leaders worldwide have echoed Leo’s calls for de-escalation, though few have commanded the global platform afforded to the leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics. As negotiations proceed tentatively in Pakistan, the pope’s moral intervention highlights the religious dimensions of a conflict with profound implications for regional stability and international relations.