{"id":87146,"date":"2026-06-26T05:32:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T09:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/pope-leo-xiv-tells-worlds-cardinals-war-is-never-blessed-by-god\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T05:32:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T09:32:08","slug":"pope-leo-xiv-tells-worlds-cardinals-war-is-never-blessed-by-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/pope-leo-xiv-tells-worlds-cardinals-war-is-never-blessed-by-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Pope Leo XIV Tells World’s Cardinals: War Is Never Blessed by God"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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VATICAN CITY (AP) \u2014 Pope Leo XIV launched a two-day gathering of the world’s cardinals on Friday with a firm declaration that war stands in opposition to God’s will, framing the Catholic Church as a voice of peace in a world torn apart by ongoing conflicts.<\/p>

Leo called the cardinals together for the meeting partly in response to their calls to be consulted more regularly \u2014 a contrast to the 12-year papacy of Pope Francis, who tended to lead without frequent input from the church’s top advisors.<\/p>

Cardinals, who wear distinctive red caps and are often referred to as the “princes of the church,” serve two primary roles: offering counsel to a sitting pope and, upon his death, gathering to choose his successor.<\/p>

Following an initial gathering in January \u2014 formally called a consistory \u2014 the American pope brought the cardinals back together for a second round this weekend. The agenda for the private sessions includes a review of the current global situation, discussion of his recent encyclical addressing artificial intelligence, and the church’s ongoing efforts to better hear the concerns of everyday Catholics.<\/p>

The original agenda had also included the contentious issue of the traditional Latin Mass, a long-standing source of division within the church. However, that topic was removed from the schedule, as the matter is expected to reach a critical point next week when a breakaway group of traditionalist Catholics plans to consecrate four new bishops against Leo’s wishes.<\/p>

As he opened the session, Leo made a direct appeal for solidarity from the assembled cardinals.<\/p>

“I need your strong, explicit and public support,” he told them. “I need to feel myself supported by you as brothers.”<\/p>

Cardinals attending the Rome meetings have been instructed to refrain from speaking with reporters, and only the pope’s opening and closing remarks are being released publicly.<\/p>

At a Mass that kicked off Friday’s proceedings, Leo spoke about what he described as God’s commitment to upholding human dignity, justice, and the rule of law.<\/p>

“Therefore, war is never worthy of humanity, and it is never blessed by God,” Leo declared. “Because, even if we are equipped with high-tech weapons, the Creator has endowed us with intelligence and free will to resolve conflicts as human beings and not as beasts.”<\/p>

Throughout Russia’s war in Ukraine and the U.S.-Israel war in Iran, Leo has maintained a steady call for peace \u2014 a stance that has at times put him at odds with U.S. President Donald Trump.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pope Leo XIV opened a two-day gathering of the world’s cardinals with a powerful message against war, declaring that conflict is never sanctioned by God. The American pope called on cardinals to publicly support his ministry as the Catholic Church faces several pressing issues. The closed-door meetings covered topics ranging from global conflict to artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":87145,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[835],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-religious"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782466328153.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-mFA","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":22608,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/pope-leo-xiv-condemns-global-conflicts-during-ash-wednesday-service\/","url_meta":{"origin":87146,"position":0},"title":"Pope Leo XIV Condemns Global Conflicts During Ash Wednesday Service","author":"Admin","date":"February 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Pope Leo XIV marked the beginning of Lent by criticizing the breakdown of international law amid ongoing global wars. During his Ash Wednesday homily in Rome, the pontiff spoke about the destruction caused by modern conflicts and their impact on justice worldwide.","rel":"","context":"In "Religious"","block_context":{"text":"Religious","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/religious\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771443155434.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771443155434.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771443155434.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771443155434.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51658,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/american-pope-leo-xiv-and-trump-clash-over-iran-war-policy\/","url_meta":{"origin":87146,"position":1},"title":"American Pope Leo XIV and Trump Clash Over Iran War Policy","author":"Admin","date":"April 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"President Trump and Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, are engaged in a public dispute over U.S. military threats against Iran. Trump called the Pope 'weak' on social media, while Leo XIV criticized the president's war rhetoric as 'truly unacceptable.'","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776141633525.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776141633525.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776141633525.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776141633525.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":39385,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/pope-leo-xiv-backs-controversial-marriage-policy-in-call-to-bishops\/","url_meta":{"origin":87146,"position":2},"title":"Pope Leo XIV Backs Controversial Marriage Policy in Call to Bishops","author":"Admin","date":"March 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Pope Leo XIV has strongly endorsed Pope Francis' controversial 2016 document that opened the door for divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Communion. 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