Pope Leo XIV has continued his push against the president’s unauthorized war in an impassioned appeal during his Sunday prayer.
The pontiff said that civilians in the Middle East “have been suffering the atrocious violence of war” for weeks. The U.S. and Israel first executed strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.
The death toll has quickly risen as the military assaults, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” by the U.S., have ramped up in recent weeks and extended across the region.
The scope of the attacks has expanded to include Lebanon, reigniting the deadly conflict between the country and Israel. The death toll across all affected nations has reached over 2,000 since the operation began. Most of those killed are from Iran and Lebanon, but at least 13 U.S. service members have died as a result of the attacks.
“On behalf of the Christians of the [Middle East], and of all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict: cease fire!” Pope Leo XIV, 70, shared in an X post. “May paths of dialogue be reopened! Violence can never lead to the justice, stability and peace for which the peoples are waiting.”
During his prayer, the pope expressed his concern for those killed and displaced by war. He shared his support for people in Lebanon.
“I hope for paths of dialogue that can support the country’s authorities in implementing lasting solutions to the serious crisis underway, for the common good of all the Lebanese people,” he said.
The Daily Beast reached out to the White House for comment.
The Chicago-born pope has repeatedly condemned 79-year-old President Donald Trump’s policies, criticizing his assaults in Venezuela and Iran. Following the U.S. attack on the Latin American country, the pontiff pushed back against a “zeal for war.” He has also called for peace several times since the Middle East military campaigns began, saying “stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats.”
Although Pope Leo did not address the president directly, he shamed war-hungry world leaders in an address on Friday.
“Do those Christians who bear grave responsibility in armed conflicts have the humility and courage to make a serious examination of conscience and to go to confession?” he asked.
Other Catholic leaders have slammed the U.S. for its insensitive glorification of war. Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, accused the White House of treating the deaths of U.S. service members and Iranian civilians “like it’s a video game” after officials posted a tacky war porn montage supporting the assault on Iran.
“The longer we remain blind to the terrible consequences of war, the more we are risking the most precious gift God gave us: our humanity,” the archbishop said. “I know that the American people are better than this. We have the good sense to know that what is happening is not entertainment but war, and that Iran is a nation of people, not a video game others play to entertain us.”
