Pope Leo is unimpressed: "Wars do not solve problems"
Pope Leo XIV condemns U.S. airstrikes on Iran, invoking a long-standing Vatican tradition of anti-war (and anti-Jewish) messaging.
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In the wake of President Donald Trump’s dramatic airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Pope Leo XIV has issued a fervent plea for peace. Speaking from the Apostolic Palace window eight hours after the strikes, the newly elected American pontiff, who assumed office in May 2025, declared, “War does not solve problems; on the contrary, it amplifies them and inflicts deep wounds on the history of peoples, which take generations to heal.”
Calling for diplomacy to “silence the weapons” and urging nations to pursue peace over “violence and bloodstained conflicts,” Leo XIV’s response reflects a consistent Vatican stance against escalating Middle East tensions.
The U.S. operation, dubbed “Midnight Hammer,” saw B-2 bombers obliterate key Iranian nuclear sites, a move widely seen as bolstering Israel against Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah and the Houthis, amid their ongoing shadow war. Trump’s announcement highlighted U.S. support for Israel, with military coordination evident in the strikes’ precision, targeting facilities Iran claimed were for peaceful purposes but which experts warned were nearing weapons-grade capability. This has intensified regional strife, prompting Iran’s retaliatory missile launches at Israel and raising fears of broader conflict.
Leo XIV’s plea aligns with his predecessors’ views, notably Pope Francis, who during the Israel-Gaza war criticized the humanitarian crisis, once calling Israel’s actions “shameful” and appearing to label its campaign “terrorism.” Francis also gifted a popemobile to Gaza’s children in 2024, a symbolic gesture of "solidarity."
Leo XIV’s message also echoes Francis’s repeated calls for ceasefires and hostage releases, as well as Pope Pius XII’s wartime assertion that “nothing is lost with peace.”
I'm not quite sure how peace could solve the issue of Iran's nukes or it calling "Death to the US. Death to Israel." Clearly, Trump agrees that sometimes, military might is actually necessary to prevent massive loss of life, and prevent unhinged fanatics holding the keys to weapons of mass destruction.