Pope Leo XIV on Sunday rejected claims that God justifies war and prayed especially for Christians in the Middle East during a Palm Sunday Mass before tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square. ADVERTISEMENT"Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war," Leo said. Russia's Orthodox Church, too, has justified Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a "holy war" against a Western world it considers has fallen into evil. Leo said that during Holy Week, Christians cannot forget how many people around the world are suffering as Christ did. A Holy Week that recalls Pope Francis' sufferingWhen Holy Week opened last year, Pope Francis was still recovering at the Vatican after a five-week hospital stay for double pneumonia.

Source: The Telegraph March 29, 2026 11:57 UTC