The Vatican’s Pope Leo XIV took a strong stand yesterday amidst rising international tensions, sending a clear message to President Donald Trump and other world leaders. During his weekly Angelus prayer at the iconic St. Peter’s Square, he passionately called for an instant stop to military actions in Iran, which he described as an “irreparable abyss.”
This came right after the US and Israel launched airstrikes on three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities, pushing the Middle East situation to a new and alarming level.
The Pope spoke directly to the hearts of everyone listening, including the thousands of pilgrims gathered there.
He emphasized that every one of us has a duty to work towards peace and prevent the tragedy of war from growing into something unspeakable. He reminded them, “Now, more than ever, humanity calls out for peace, a plea that requires rational attention and should not be silenced.”
His voice was filled with urgency as he called for unity and peace, as humanity’s desperate plea to avoid a dark path.
What Did Pope Leo Tell Donald Trump About The Iran Strikes?
This plea marks the most forceful papal criticism of military action by the United States in recent history, especially significant coming from Pope Leo XIV, the first American to head the Catholic Church.
He explicitly called for diplomacy to replace weapons and warned that unchecked violence could lead to untold suffering, particularly in regions like Gaza, which he said were at risk of being forgotten.
🚨🇮🇷🇻🇦 BREAKING: POPE LEO warns of “IRREPARABLE ABYSS” after U.S. strikes on Iran, calls for an END TO THE WAR ON IRAN. pic.twitter.com/cETfNAhyw3
— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) June 22, 2025
The Pope’s rebuke came just hours after Trump took a brief podium moment to celebrate the military operation and said: “We love you, God, and we love our great military.”
While Trump stopped short of declaring full-scale war, he did not commit to de-escalation.
Instead, he spoke in a tone reminiscent of previous campaigns, praising Israel and positioning himself as a protector of Judeo-Christian values. But Pope Leo’s message underscored the rising unease at the Vatican and elsewhere over what appears to be a theological framing of global conflict.
Not All Religious Leaders Call For Peace
The pontiff’s call for peace stands in sharp contrast to voices within Trump’s evangelical base. On a recent World Prayer Network broadcast, former Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann characterized the Israel-Iran conflict as “a spiritual battle” and said support for Israel was biblically mandated.
“This is not a negotiation,” Bachmann said, urging Trump to act decisively. A president’s stance on Israel can either “take down a presidency, or it will lift up and create great promise for a presidency.”
Pastor Shane Vaughn, a vocal Trump ally and Christian nationalist figure, went further. “The missiles that flew (…) were spiritual projectiles,” he declared. “Netanyahu is a foreshadowing of the true lion that is getting ready to rise in the land of Israel. (…) He is not coming back to play, he is coming back to bring the rod of correction over the enemies of Israel.”
MAGA pastor Shane Vaughn breaks out in song celebrating Israel’s attack on Iran, overjoyed by the prospect that it fulfills biblical prophecy that the End Times are rapidly approaching: “What wonderful days these days are before the coming of the Lord.” pic.twitter.com/vJVlC0mfYz
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) June 13, 2025
Such rhetoric signals the dangerous fusion of divine prophecy with real-world warfare, which is a fusion Pope Leo appears determined to disrupt. Though the Vatican declined to comment on the authenticity of Leo’s now-deleted X account that criticized Trump before his papacy, his stance on peace has remained firm.
His predecessor, Pope Francis, famously stated in 2016 that “a person who thinks only about building walls… is not Christian.”
“Person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.”
– Pope Francis (2016 on Donald Trump.) pic.twitter.com/6NR6pkswUF
— Travis Matthew (@Matthewtravis08) April 28, 2025
Iranian officials, meanwhile, have issued their ominous warnings. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denounced the U.S. assault as a “dangerous military operation” with “everlasting consequences.”
Even within Trump’s political orbit, discontent is growing. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Steve Bannon, and Tucker Carlson have all warned that U.S. engagement in another foreign war would betray Trump’s America First promises.
With voices of religion, politics, and power now colliding over one of the world’s most volatile conflicts, Pope Leo’s warning may be the last bridge offered before diplomacy drowns in fire. “Let diplomacy silence the weapons,” he urged, “and let nations chart their future with peace efforts.”
