VATICAN CITY – During a Friday address to priests at the Vatican, Pope Leo called upon Christian political leaders engaged in warfare to seek the sacrament of confession and reflect deeply on whether their military actions align with the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Speaking to clergy gathered for a Vatican conference focused on the practice of confession, the Pope posed a pointed question: “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?”
The pontiff refrained from identifying particular leaders or specific military engagements during his Friday remarks. However, he has intensified his appeals in recent days for a cessation of the current Iran conflict, which commenced with coordinated U.S.-Israeli military strikes on February 28.
President Donald Trump, who was brought up in the Presbyterian Christian tradition, leads an administration that includes several Catholic officials in key positions. Both Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio practice the Catholic faith.
The teachings of Jesus emphasized non-violence among his disciples, and the Catholic Church maintains a general stance opposing warfare. Throughout history, the Church has applied just war doctrine to evaluate military conflicts, employing specific standards to determine whether a particular war can be deemed morally acceptable, such as defending against an unprovoked attack.
Earlier this week, Washington D.C. Cardinal Robert McElroy declared that the U.S.-Israeli military actions against Iran were “not morally legitimate,” arguing they failed to satisfy the Church’s established just war principles.
The Pope’s comments came during his address to the Vatican gathering on confession, a Catholic sacrament where believers acknowledge their wrongdoings to a priest and seek divine forgiveness. According to the Pope, this spiritual practice benefits individual Catholics while fostering greater peace and harmony throughout society.
