Khaberni - The Pope of the Vatican directed sharp criticism, today Sunday, towards leaders who wage wars, saying that the Lord will not accept any prayers from them, in an unusual tone as the American-Israeli war on Iran enters its second month.
Pope Leo XIV, known for his careful choice of words, said, "The Lord rejects the prayers of leaders who wage wars and whose hands are stained with blood."
Leo, the first American pope of the Vatican, stated in a speech before tens of thousands in St. Peter's Square on Palm Sunday, that the Lord "rejects war.. and no one can use him to justify war."
He continued, saying that the Lord "does not listen to the prayers of those who wage wars but rejects them, stating: Even if you pray a lot, I will not listen to you: for your hands are stained with blood."
Leo did not specifically mention any of the world leaders by name, but he intensified his criticism of the Iran war over the past few weeks.
The Pope of the Vatican has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict, and said last Monday that airstrikes are indiscriminate and must be prevented.
American officials used Christian phrases to justify the launch of American-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, which ignited the escalating war.
Pete Heigseth, the US War Secretary, who started to lead Christian prayers at the Department of War (Pentagon), prayed on Wednesday for "overwhelming violence against those who do not deserve mercy."
The United States and Israel have been waging a war on Iran since February 28, with Iran retaliating by launching rockets at Israel and the occupied territories, also targeting what it says are American bases and interests in Arab countries in the region with its rockets and drones, but these rockets and drones have hit civilian targets causing material damage as well as casualties and injuries.
