Pope Leo XIV used his Palm Sunday homily at St Peter's Square to condemn what he described as the use of Jesus to justify war, calling ongoing conflicts 'atrocious' and warning that God does not hear the prayers of those who wage them. His remarks came days after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth invoked the Catholic faith during a prayer that called for 'overwhelming violence' against enemies who 'deserve no mercy.'
Though Pope Leo did not name any member of the Trump administration directly, his address drew an immediate connection to Hegseth's prayer, which had proved controversial for its explicit invocation of Christian faith in the context of military violence. Hegseth is a member of the Church of Reformed Evangelical Churches.
