US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that American troops are fighting “for Jesus Christ” as the United States (US) continues strikes on Iran.
He urged Americans to pray “every day, on bended knee” for a military victory in the Middle East and also sought prayers through Pope Leo XIV.
The remarks drew a sharp rebuke from the head of the Catholic Church, who distanced himself from such calls.
Speaking during a Mass ahead of Easter, Pope Leo pointedly stated that the Christian mission has often been “distorted by a desire for domination, entirely foreign to the way of Jesus Christ.”
Without naming Hegseth, he addressed the use of religion in conflict.
“We tend to consider ourselves powerful when we dominate, victorious when we destroy our equals, great when we are feared,” the Pope said during a Holy Thursday homily.
“God has given us an example — not of how to dominate, but of how to liberate; not of how to destroy life, but of how to give it.”
In a separate address in late March, he said Jesus “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”
Since the United States and Israel began strikes in Iran in late February, Pope Leo, the first American Pope, has repeatedly called for an end to the violence and a return to dialogue.
He also spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, where he reiterated the need to end the conflict and work towards what he described as a “just and lasting peace,” according to a Vatican statement.
