Vatican city: Pope Leo XIV on Sunday rejected claims that God justifies war during a Palm Sunday Mass, as the Iran war entered its second month. Addressing tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square, the pontiff emphasized that Jesus must not be used to legitimize any form of warfare.

According to Deutsche Welle, the first US-born pope did not single out any world leaders, but in recent weeks, he has sharpened his criticism of the ongoing war in Iran. During an appeal at the end of Mass, Leo said he was praying for Christians in the Middle East who are "suffering the consequences of an atrocious conflict. In many cases, they cannot fully observe the rites of these holy days."

The pontiff has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict. On Monday, he denounced military airstrikes as indiscriminate and said such attacks should be prohibited. "Airplanes should always be carriers of peace, never of war. No one should be afraid that threats of death and destruction might come from the sky," Leo said, without specifically referring to the war in Iran.

Some US officials have used Christian rhetoric to defend the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran which began on February 28. During a religious service at the Pentagon on Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth prayed for "overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy."