Pope Leo XIV has criticized President Donald Trump’s strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, warning that “war does not solve problems.”
“Alarming news continues to emerge from the Middle East, especially from Iran,” the pontiff said in his weekly address on Sunday, according to Vatican News. “Today, more than ever, humanity cries out and calls for peace. This is a cry that requires responsibility and reason, and it must not be drowned out by the din of weapons or the rhetoric that incites conflict.”
Leo also said the international community must collectively work to ensure peace.
“Every member of the international community has a moral responsibility to stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable chasm,” he added. “There are no ‘distant’ conflicts when human dignity is at stake.”
The critique came hours after Trump announced that the United States had struck three of Iran’s nuclear facilities using a combination of B-2 bombers equipped with 30,000-pound “bunker-busting” bombs and other military aircraft. The decision to join Israel’s assault on Iran enraged lawmakers, and Iran has vowed a response with “everlasting consequences.”
The White House did not respond to an immediate request for comment.
Leo’s comments come after he criticized Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s hardline immigration policies earlier this year, before he was appointed pope. Leo, who was born Robert Prevost, shared multiple op-eds critical of the two on X, and his online critiques of Trump stretched back to 2015. Vance, who converted to Catholicism as an adult, has brushed off the past attacks.
Leo also warned on Saturday that “wherever a journalist is silenced, the democratic soul of a country is weakened,” a subtle rebuke of Trump’s frequent attacks on—and lawsuits against—news organizations.
Pope Francis, Leo’s predecessor, had criticized Vance’s handling of immigration earlier this year, though he did not name him. Vance said he was “surprised” by Francis’ pushback.
The conflict marks the first global military crisis to break out since the American-born Leo was appointed pope last month. Since he assumed the papacy, he has urged world leaders to pursue diplomacy over violence in conflicts such as Russia’s war in Ukraine and the war in Gaza.
“War does not solve problems; on the contrary, it amplifies them and inflicts deep wounds on the history of peoples, which take generations to heal,” he said on Sunday. “No armed victory can compensate for the pain of mothers, the fear of children, or stolen futures. May diplomacy silence the weapons! May nations chart their futures with works of peace, not with violence and bloodstained conflicts!”
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