Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pontiff, issued a rare rebuke of President Trump on Tuesday, saying it was “truly unacceptable” to threaten to wipe out Iran’s “whole civilization.”
He did not mention the president by name, but it was clear whom he was referring to.
“Today, as we all know, there has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran. And this is truly unacceptable,” the pope told reporters Tuesday evening in Italy, hours before an announcement by Mr. Trump that a two-week cease-fire had been reached. “There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more, it is a moral question concerning the good of the people as a whole, in its entirety.”
Mr. Trump had earlier threatened to destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran if Tehran did not allow commercial ships to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz. The deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure is forbidden under international law. Mr. Trump’s threat drew widespread condemnation from Democratic and Republican lawmakers, as well as United Nations officials and others around the world.
In his first year as pontiff, Leo has largely avoided wading directly into U.S. politics, but he has consistently called for an end to the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and a return to dialogue to resolve the conflict. He has also pointedly rejected efforts by some in the Trump administration to frame the war in Christian terms.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in March called on Americans to pray for victory in battle and the safety of their troops “in the name of Jesus Christ.”
The pope soon after warned against invoking the name of Jesus for battle, saying that Jesus “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”
In a homily during a Mass before Easter last week, Leo said that the Christian mission had been “distorted by a desire for domination, entirely foreign to the way of Jesus Christ.”
Then, on Easter Sunday, he renewed his call for peace. “On this day of celebration, let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination and power, and implore the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars,” Leo told tens of thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
Mr. Trump had imposed a Tuesday evening deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face devastation. Leo pressed for diplomacy. “Come back to the table. Let’s talk,” Leo said Tuesday evening. “Let’s look for solutions in a peaceful way.”
Hours later, shortly before his 8 p.m. deadline, Mr. Trump made the announcement about the cease-fire agreement. In a post on social media, Mr. Trump also claimed to be “very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East.”
Elisabetta Povoledo and Motoko Rich contributed reporting.
Ephrat Livni is a Times reporter covering breaking news around the world. She is based in Washington.
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