Pope Leo says God rejects prayers of leaders who wage wars

[demmiblue]

VATICAN CITY, March 29 (Reuters) - Pope Leo said on ‌Sunday that God rejects the prayers of leaders who start wars and have "hands full of blood", in unusually forceful remarks as the Iran war entered its second month.

Addressing tens of thousands in St. Peter's Square on Palm Sunday, ​the celebration that opens the holy week leading up to Easter for the world's ​1.4 billion Catholics, the pontiff called the conflict "atrocious" and said Jesus cannot be ⁠used to justify any wars.

"This is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, ​whom no one can use to justify war," Leo, the first U.S. pope, told crowds in ​brilliant sunshine.

" (Jesus) does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: 'Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood'," he said, citing a Bible ​passage.

https://www.reuters.com/world/pope-leo-says-god-rejects-prayers-leaders-who-wage-wars-2026-03-29/

Reuters: Pope Leo said on ‌Sunday that God rejects the prayers of leaders who start wars and have "hands full of blood", in unusually forceful remarks as the Iran war entered its second month.

www.reuters.com/world/pope-l...

— Olga Nesterova (@onestpress.onestnetwork.com) 2026-03-29T11:07:51.508Z

[BootinUp]

1. k&r

[Swede]

2. K&R

nt

[newdeal2]

3. No worries, I've been assured that this is a special operation, not a war

And even if it was a war, it was already won pretty quickly. Wasn't there something about peace through strength in the Bible?

[ananda]

6. Or war is the way to peace...

hence he deserves the Nobel.

!@#$%

[milestogo]

4. Petey are your ears ringing?

[wnylib]

12. Or JD's?

[ananda]

5. Those are strong words coming from a pope.

*Like*

[demmiblue]

7. Trump just posted a letter from Franklin Graham assuring him that...

Trump just posted a letter from Franklin Graham assuring him that says "you commented to the media that you might not be heaven bound. Maybe you responded in jest, but it is an important issue to know for certain that your soul is secure and will spend eternity in the presence of God."

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-03-29T13:44:44.580Z

[Bluetus]

11. If Leo is correct, then "Billy" Graham Jr is the last person who should get his prayers answered

But it seems to me that Leo's comments were directed more at Netanyahu.

My god can kick your god's ass.

[Clouds Passing]

17. Says one liar to another...

[MorbidButterflyTat]

29. OFFS

"Blessed are the peacemakers, and Piggy, that is what you are."

Beyond disgusting.

[ChicagoTeamster]

8. Isn't Jesus referred to as the Prince of Peace? Do Christian Nationalists even acknowledge that?

[wnylib]

14. Yeah, all that Peace on Earth talk at Christmas

rang pretty hollow when the US and UK invaded Iraq, too.

[lastlib]

15. Peace is for wusses.....

sez the Christo-nazis.

[Joinfortmill]

9. I like this dude.

[Grim Chieftain]

16. Quite remarkable that he is Pope at this point in history

[Bluetus]

10. I appreciate what Leo is saying, but this is pure dogmatic crap

It makes no sense to argue on one hand that the reason we have such evil people is that God is testing us by giving us freewill, and then argue that God is actually taking sides by rejecting prayers from these evil people.

Which is it? Is God neutral or is God putting his thumb on the scale. It cannot be both.

Besides, it sure doesn't look like God has been rejecting any of those prayers.

[2na fisherman]

13. With God On Our Side

Who presumes to know such things? Or is it all just made up? One man's holy warrior is another man's soldier of The Great Satan.

[BurnDoubt]

26. God loses half the Wars he gets into...

Just sayin'.

[hamsterjill]

18. This man is so amazing!

I'm Christian, but not Catholic, and I love Leo! We all know who he's speaking to!

[dalton99a]

19. Trump: "Disgraceful! Fake pope! How many divisions does he have?"

[highplainsdem]

21. I like this pope more and more.

[LudwigPastorius]

22. "Pope Leo said on ‌Sunday that God rejects the prayers of leaders who start wars"

Trump, if he even prays at all, only prays to Trump.

[WhatTheFlux]

23. Joshua? Constantine? Joan of Arc?

[mwmisses4289]

24. Yeah, I think Leo has conviently forgotten about past pope's prayers.

Crusades, anyone?

[no_hypocrisy]

25. Go ahead, Donnie. Hit him back 10x as hard.

[KentuckyWoman]

27. Well, not according to the Bible.

The Old Testament says God only listened to the Jews, and gave them the ability to genocide EVERYONE. Bibi obviously believes that.

[Scrivener7]

28. Bob! You're awesome!

[pattyloutwo]

30. I don't know my popes

But he seems like an A#1

[dickthegrouch]

31. If its HURLiness had any integrity whatsoever

It would summarily excommunicate anyone who used any kind of weapon in any manner other than direct self-defense.

"Thou shalt not kill" should still stand for something.

[spanone]

32. trmp doesn't pray.

[SunImp]

33. God rejects the prayers of leaders who start wars and have "hands full of blood"