Pope Leo XIV said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on the 10th local time that "God does not bless any war," adding, "Disciples of Christ, the prince of peace, do not side with those who once drew the sword and today drop bombs."
Leo XIV emphasized, "Military action does not bring an era of freedom or peace," and "Peace is possible only when we foster coexistence through patience and dialogue among people."
This is seen as a message aimed at U.S. President Donald Trump, who is at war with Iran. Leo XIV, however, did not mention any specific country or individual in the post.
On the same day, Leo XIV also criticized in another post, saying, "Unreasonable and inhumane violence is spreading in the holy places of the Christian East," and "In this place defiled by the blasphemy of war and the cruelty of the pursuit of profit, human life is treated as collateral damage." He added, "There is no profit more valuable than the lives of the weakest—children, families, and others," and "No cause can justify the shedding of innocent blood."
Leo XIV, from Chicago in the United States, is the first American pope in Catholic history. Since his enthronement in May last year, he has maintained a critical stance toward the Trump administration's MAGA (Make America Great Again) policies.