Pope Leo XIV seems to send message to Trump in Easter Sunday address urging ‘Let those who have weapons lay them down’
Pope Leo
Strongly condemning Trump’s war in Iran, the Pope told thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square that people are “increasingly accustomed to violence, submit to it and become indifferent.”
Speaking from the Vatican balcony, the first US-born pope cried: ‘Those who have guns, let them go!
‘Those who have the power to start wars should choose peace! ‘A peace imposed through dialogue, not by force.’
Leo, 70, made no contradictions in his message, known as the Urbi et Orbi blessing, which translates as ‘to the city and the world’.
The papal address was unusually short, lasting about 15 minutes. Normally it is twice the length in time.
Leo also touched on the Biblical story of Easter, in which Jesus rose from the dead three days after peacefully accepting his death by crucifixion, to highlight the ‘completely non-violent’ nature of Christ.
He added that the peace Jesus gave was ‘not just the silence of the guns’, and urged: ‘On this day of celebration, let us put aside all conflict, domination and desire for power, and pray to the Lord to give His peace to a war-torn world.’
Pope Leo XIV appears to have used his first address on Easter Sunday to send a message to President Donald Trump, calling for “those who have guns to let them go.”
Strongly condemning Trump’s war in Iran, the Pope told thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square that people were “increasingly accustomed to violence, resigned to it and became indifferent.”
Leo noted that there is a ‘globalization of indifference’, including the ‘death of thousands of people’, the ‘reflections of hatred’ and the ‘social and economic repercussions’ produced by wars.
The Pope continued: ‘The cross of Jesus always reminds us of the pain and suffering that surrounds death and the suffering it entails.
‘We are all afraid of death and out of fear we turn away, choosing not to look. We cannot continue to remain complacent. ‘We cannot surrender ourselves to evil.’
Leo’s Easter Sunday speech followed his calls for an end to global conflicts, including a significant step in his criticism of the Iran war.
Popes don’t usually mention world leaders by name, but an exception was made last week when he explicitly mentioned Trump.
He told reporters on Tuesday: ‘I’m told President Trump has said recently that he wants to end the war…I hope he’s looking for a way out.’
Leo, who was born in Chicago, added: ‘We constantly make calls for peace but unfortunately many people want to promote hatred, violence and war.’
His comments contradicted those of U.S. secretary Pete Hegseth, who deemed the Iran war sacrosanct.
Leo also touched on the biblical story of Easter, in which Jesus rose from the dead three days after accepting his death by crucifixion, to highlight Jesus’ ‘completely non-violent’ nature.
Leo’s Easter Sunday speech followed his calls for an end to global conflicts, including a major step forward in his criticism of the Iran war, and came as he openly referenced Trump last week.
While praying last week, Hegseth asked God for “crushing violence against those who do not deserve mercy.”
He added: ‘Let us make our mark in every round against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation.’
In what appeared to be retaliation at St. Peter’s on Palm Sunday, the pope said: God ‘does not listen to the prayers of those who make war, he rejects them’.
Turning to the Bible, he said: ‘Even if you pray a lot, I will not listen; ‘Your hands are full of blood.’
The seemingly back-and-forth debate between the Trump administration and Pope Leo XIV began last year.
Before being elected in May of last year, Leo examined J.D. Vance’s claims that the Bible justifies taking care of one’s family before immigration.
Following the US vice president’s invitation to the United States for Independence Day on July 4 this year, the Pope said he would instead spend the day visiting Lampedusa, an Italian island where immigrants landed after setting off from Africa.
This year marks Leo’s first Easter as Pope after the death of 88-year-old Pope Francis on Easter Monday last year.
Urbi et Orbi is the most solemn form of blessing in the Catholic Church and is reserved for special occasions such as Easter and Christmas.
