House Speaker Mike Johnson scolded Pope Leo XIV for preaching against those who wage war.
During a House Republican press conference on Wednesday, Johnson was asked about President Donald Trump’s recent attacks on the pope.
“I’m not one to criticize clerics,” the speaker said. “And, you know, a pontiff or any religious leader can say anything they want. But obviously if you wade into political waters, I think you should expect some political response, and I think the pope’s received some of that.”
“You know, I was taken a little bit aback, just honestly, frankly, by — something that was said, I think he said it several days back, something about those who engage in war, you know, that Jesus doesn’t hear their prayers or something,” he continued. “You know, it is a very well-settled matter of Christian theology. There’s something called the just war doctrine. There’s a time to every purpose under heaven. I think what the president’s comments, what the vice president’s comments reflect is their understanding deep in the, you know, the SCIF and the classified briefings of the stakes that are so high in the situation that we’re facing and the fact that you had the nation that was the largest sponsor of terrorism now having had that ability taken away from them.”
Johnson predicted that “millions of innocent people will be able to keep their lives and not be killed by terrorists” because of Trump’s war in Iran.
“I don’t want to engage in a theological debate with the pope. I certainly respect the pope. I would just say that these are matters that people of good faith and good sense can debate and think through, and I think that’s what that reflects,” he insisted.
On Saturday, Pope Leo strongly condemned Trump’s aggression against Iran.
“Enough of the idolatry of self and money!” Leo told his flock. “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”
“It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive,” he added. “Even the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death.”
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