Pope Leo XIV suggested on Friday that Christian political leaders who start wars should go to confession and analyze whether they are following the teachings of Jesus, without naming any specific leader or conflict, Reuters reports.
„Do those Christians who bear immense responsibility in armed conflicts demonstrate the humility and courage necessary to seriously examine their conscience and go to confession?” the pope asked in a speech delivered in front of the clergy.
Although on Friday Pope Leo did not make any reference to a specific person, in recent days he has made repeated appeals for the cessation of the ongoing war in Iran, triggered on February 28 following American-Israeli attacks.
American President Donald Trump was raised in the Presbyterian faith. Some of the key members of the Trump administration, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are Catholics.
Jesus taught his disciples to be non-violent, and the Catholic Church generally opposes war, Reuters specifies.
For centuries, the Church has evaluated conflicts based on the "just war" tradition, which uses a series of criteria to determine whether a conflict can be considered morally justified, such as rejecting an unjust invasion.
Robert McElroy, cardinal of Washington, D.C., said earlier this week that the American-Israeli attacks against Iran "are not morally legitimate" because they do not meet the Church's criteria regarding just war.
Pope Leo XIV is participating on Friday at the Vatican in a conference on confession, a practice through which Catholics confess their sins to the priest and ask God for forgiveness.
According to the pontiff, this ritual helps each individual Catholic, but also promotes peace and unity in society.