ROME (AP) 鈥� In his strongest words yet, on Saturday denounced the 鈥渄elusion of omnipotence鈥� that is fueling the and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace.
Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica on the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan and as a fragile ceasefire held.
History鈥檚 first U.S.-born pope didn鈥檛 mention the United States or President Donald Trump in his prayer, which was planned before the talks were announced. But Leo鈥檚 tone and message appeared directed at Trump and U.S. officials, who have boasted of U.S. military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.
鈥淓nough of the idolatry of self and money!鈥� Leo said. 鈥淓nough of the display of power! Enough of war!鈥�
In the basilica pews was the archbishop of Tehran, Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu. The U.S. was represented in the diplomatic corps by its deputy chief of mission, Laura Hochla, the U.S. Embassy said.
In the first weeks of the war, the Chicago-born Leo was initially reluctant to publicly condemn the violence and limited his comments to muted appeals for peace and dialogue. But Leo stepped up his criticism starting on Palm Sunday. And this week, he said Trump鈥檚 threat to annihilate Iranian civilization was and called for dialogue to prevail.
On Saturday, Leo called for all people of good will to pray for peace and demand an end to war from their political leaders. The evening vigil in Rome, which featured Scripture readings and meditative recitation of the Rosary prayers, was taking place as simultaneous local prayer services were being held in the U.S. and beyond.
Praying for peace, Leo said, was a way to 鈥渂reak the demonic cycle of evil鈥� to build instead the Kingdom of God where there are no swords, drones or 鈥渦njust profit.鈥�
鈥淚t is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ven the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death.鈥�
Leaders have used religion to justify their actions in the war. U.S. officials and especially have invoked their Christian faith to cast the U.S. as a Christian nation trying to vanquish its foes.
Leo has said God doesn鈥檛 bless any war, and certainly not those who drop bombs.
Leo presided over the service sitting off to the side of the altar on a white throne, wearing his formal red cape and liturgical stole and praying with a Rosary in his hands. Many of the priests and nuns in the pews fingered Rosary beads as the 鈥淥ur Father鈥� and 鈥淗ail Mary鈥� prayers were recited.
The Vatican is particularly concerned about the spillover of Israel鈥檚 war against Hezbollah in , given the plight of Christian communities in the south.
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