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By Gabe Whisnant
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The White House pushed back Monday after Pope Leo XIV said God rejects the prayers of leaders who wage war, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt defending the administration’s use of prayer in reference to U.S. military operations.
Responding to a question about the pope’s Palm Sunday remarks condemning the use of religion to justify war, Leavitt said, "Our nation was a nation founded 250 years ago almost on Judeo-Christian values. And we have seen presidents, the leaders of the Department of War, and our troops go to prayer during the most turbulent times in our nation's history, and I don't think there is anything wrong with our military leaders or with the president calling on the American people to pray for our service members overseas."
She continued, "If you talk to many service members, they appreciate the prayers and support from the commander in chief and his Cabinet."
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What did Pope Leo Say on Palm Sunday?
Leo’s remarks came during a Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, where he delivered an unusually forceful condemnation of war as the conflict with Iran entered its second month. Speaking to tens of thousands of worshippers, the pontiff said Jesus cannot be used to justify violence and cited a biblical passage saying God will not listen to prayers from those whose “hands are full of blood.”
The pope did not name specific political leaders but has steadily sharpened his criticism of the war in recent weeks, repeatedly calling for an immediate ceasefire. He also lamented that Christians in the Middle East were suffering the consequences of what he described as an “atrocious” conflict and warned that some may not be able to fully observe Easter.
“Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” Leo said. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”
Leo emphasized that Jesus rejected violence even at the moment of his arrest, referencing a biblical account in which Christ rebuked a follower for drawing a sword.
“He did not arm himself, or defend himself, or fight any war,” the pope said, adding that Jesus instead revealed a God who “always rejects violence.”
Some U.S. officials have invoked Christian language in support of the military campaign. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has led prayer services at the Pentagon and last week prayed for “overwhelming violence of action” against America’s enemies, remarks that have drawn scrutiny amid the pope’s broader warning against using religion to sanctify war.
Russia’s Orthodox Church has similarly justified Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine as a “holy war” against what it describes as a morally corrupt Western world.
The pope has increasingly sharpened his criticism of war in recent weeks, repeatedly calling for an immediate ceasefire and saying military airstrikes are indiscriminate and should be banned.
Remarks Come as Conflicts Escalate in Iran and Ukraine
Leo’s homily came as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran entered its second month and Russia continued its yearslong invasion of Ukraine.
Since the United States and Israel began airstrikes on Iran on February 28, thousands of people have been killed across the region, according to government statements, humanitarian groups and military officials. A U.S.-based rights group, HRANA, estimates more than 3,400 people have been killed in Iran, including over 1,500 civilians and at least 230 children, while the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has reported at least 1,900 deaths and roughly 20,000 injuries inside Iran.
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Outside Iran, Lebanese authorities say more than 1,200 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since early March, while Israel reports at least 19 civilian deaths from Iranian and Hezbollah missile attacks. The Israeli military has said several of its soldiers were also killed in fighting in southern Lebanon. U.S. Central Command has confirmed that at least 13 American service members have been killed in Iranian retaliatory attacks on U.S. facilities, with roughly 200 others wounded. Casualties have also been reported in Iraq and Gulf states as the conflict has spread beyond Iran’s borders.
Since Russia launched its full‑scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the war has killed and wounded hundreds of thousands of people on both sides.
Updates: 3/30/26, 7:52 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
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