Pope Leo Slams Trump’s War Policy, Issues Urgent Plea to End Iran Conflict

Since taking office last May, the Pope had largely avoided domestic controversies, but the escalating conflict has prompted him to take a direct stand against the White House. On Tuesday, he officially called out President Trump by name, urging an immediate end to the violence.

Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, a close ally of the Pontiff, noted that Pope Leo is delivering a message of peace in a distinctly American and English-speaking style. In a stern warning, the Pope stated that leaders who initiate wars have "blood on their hands" and that God does not hear their prayers—a comment widely seen as a rebuttal to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s religious justification for the war.

Beyond the battlefield, Pope Leo has also challenged Trump’s immigration policies and recently restructured the American Catholic leadership by replacing influential conservatives. As the world prepares for Easter Sunday, all eyes are on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, where the Pope is expected to deliver a significant international appeal for global peace and a ceasefire in Iran.