Pope Leo XIV delivered his most forceful condemnation of the US-Iran conflict Saturday evening, denouncing what he called a "delusion of omnipotence" driving the war during a prayer vigil at St. Peter's Basilica.
The Chicago-born pontiff presided over the evening service as face-to-face negotiations between the United States and Iran commenced in Pakistan under a fragile ceasefire. While Leo did not explicitly name President Trump or US officials, his remarks appeared directly aimed at American leaders who have invoked religious justifications for military action.
Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!
Pope Leo XIV — The Independent
The papal criticism represents a dramatic escalation from Leo's initial response to the conflict. In the war's opening weeks, the first American-born pope had limited himself to muted appeals for peace and dialogue, showing reluctance to publicly condemn the violence.
That restraint ended on Palm Sunday, when Leo began intensifying his criticism of the conflict. Earlier this week, he branded Trump's threats against Iranian civilization as "truly unacceptable" and urged dialogue to prevail over military action.
NPR frames the story through the lens of papal evolution, emphasizing Leo's transformation from initial reluctance to speak out to increasingly forceful criticism. The outlet focuses on the domestic angle of an American-born pope criticizing US policy, presenting this as a significant diplomatic and religious development without taking sides on the conflict itself.