Pope Leo XIV utilized his inaugural Palm Sunday Mass to convey a forceful message opposing warfare that reverberated throughout social media platforms and diplomatic circles, proclaiming that God condemns violence and turns away the prayers of those engaged in armed conflict.
Thousands assembled in St. Peter’s Square on March 29 as the first pontiff born in America led the ceremonial observance commemorating Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. The pontiff, age 70, wearing red ceremonial garments representing Christ’s suffering, devoted his sermon to condemning the invocation of religious faith to legitimize armed confrontations.
“Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” Pope Leo XIV said. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”
The pontiff’s statements arrived while the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran reached its second month and Russia’s military operations in Ukraine persist. Officials from every faction in these confrontations have cited religious grounds for their armed activities, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has characterized the Iran confrontation in overtly Christian language.
The liturgical service commenced with a procession of cardinals, bishops, priests, and lay participants bearing olive branches and elaborately woven palm fronds through the square. Approximately 60 cardinals and bishops took part as the procession moved around the old Egyptian obelisk that Emperor Caligula transported to Rome in 37 A.D., a location historically linked with early Christian persecution, including St. Peter’s martyrdom.
Pope Leo XIV offered particular prayers for Christians throughout the Middle East who face “suffering the consequences of a brutal conflict” and frequently cannot properly conduct Holy Week observances. His statements gained additional significance following Jerusalem police blocking Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and the Custos of the Holy Land from accessing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm March 29 Mass, marking the first instance in centuries that religious authorities encountered such barriers at the location where Christians believe Jesus was crucified.
Israeli police shut down principal holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City citing security concerns during Iranian missile attacks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently stated Israel would seek to partially reopen the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the days after the declaration, responding to worldwide condemnation.
The observance carried special significance as the first Palm Sunday following Pope Francis’s death on Easter Monday in 2025. Francis had recovered from a five-week hospitalization for double pneumonia to acknowledge the faithful from St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, completing what would be his last popemobile journey around the piazza. He experienced a stroke and passed away the next morning. His nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, subsequently disclosed that Francis had expressed to him: “Thank you for bringing me back to the square.”
Pope Leo XIV has been scheduled to conduct the complete series of Holy Week religious services, including the Holy Thursday foot-washing ritual at the basilica of St. John Lateran, the Good Friday procession at Rome’s Colosseum, the Easter Vigil on Saturday, and Easter Mass on March 29 in St. Peter’s Square. The current pope restored the Holy Thursday ritual to the basilica following Francis’s well-known practice of conducting it by visiting Rome-area prisons and refugee centers to wash the feet of Muslims and people of other faiths.
The pontiff finished his sermon by referencing Venerable Bishop Tonino Bello, a peace activist and social justice champion whom Pope Francis acknowledged as venerable in 2021. The bishop, who passed away in 1993, had offered prayers for when “the tears of all the victims of violence and pain will soon be dried up like frost beneath the spring sun.”
Russia’s Orthodox Church has characterized its invasion of Ukraine a “holy war” against what it considers a morally corrupt West. Simultaneously, President Donald Trump’s administration has portrayed military operations in religious language, as demonstrated in declarations by Defense Secretary Hegseth and other officials.
Palm Sunday represents the start of Holy Week, honoring Jesus’ victorious arrival in Jerusalem prior to his crucifixion on Good Friday and rising on Easter Sunday. The religious service encompasses readings of Christ’s anguish and death, establishing the atmosphere for Christianity’s most hallowed week.
As the first U.S.-born pope in history conducted his first Holy Week as pontiff, his emphatic position against religious rationalizations for armed conflict indicated a continuation of contemporary papal focus on peace while defining his own unique voice on the international stage. His message generated significant response on social media, where recordings of his homily sparked debates about faith, warfare and political leadership.