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During a peace vigil on Saturday, Pope Leo addressed what he described as a “delusion of omnipotence” that he believes is driving conflicts around the world.
“Through prayer, we transcend our human limitations and connect with God’s infinite possibilities,” the Pope stated during a service at St. Peter’s Basilica. “This connection allows our thoughts, words, and actions to disrupt the evil cycle and serve the Kingdom of God.”
He envisioned a Kingdom devoid of violence and retribution, where dignity, understanding, and forgiveness prevail over swords, drones, and the trivialization of evil. “Here lies the defense against the delusion of omnipotence that we face, a force growing increasingly unpredictable and aggressive,” he added.
In his remarks, both in social media posts and at the vigil, Pope Leo underscored that while war divides, hope and faith have the power to bring humanity together.
Pope Leo XIV conducts a peace vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Saturday evening. (Photo by Gregorio Borgia/AP)
“Enough of the idolatry of self and money. Enough of the display of power. Enough of war,” he wrote. “True strength is shown in serving life.”
The archbishop of Tehran, Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, was among those in the pews.
Leo’s words came on the same day the Vice President JD Vance and a U.S. delegation began face-to-face talks with Iran amid an uneasy ceasefire.
They were some of the first American pontiff’s strongest words yet after he called President Donald Trump’s threat against Iran on Tuesday “truly unacceptable.” Â
“Today, as we all know, there has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable,” the pope said earlier this week. “There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more so a moral issue for the good of the whole entire population.”
Pope Leo XIV speaks to the media on the U.S.–Israeli conflict with Iran, as he leaves the papal residence to head back to the Vatican, April 7, in Castel Gandolfo, Italy. (Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters)
Trump had written on Truth Social “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will… God Bless the Great People of Iran!”
Hours later, the president announced a two-week ceasefire subject to Iran agreeing to “the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz,” the president wrote in another post.
As the high-stakes talks began on Saturday is Islamabad, Trump told reporters outside of the White House: “We win regardless of what happens. Maybe they make a deal, maybe they don’t.”
Islamabad host peace talks between Iran and the U.S. on Saturday. (Farooq Naeem / AFP via Getty Images)
For more than a month, the pope limited his remarks to muted appeals for peace, but in his Easter blessing last Sunday, he urged “those with weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace.”
Leo also invoked what he said were the final words that Pope Francis issued to the world from the same balcony one year ago, during which the late pontiff warned of a “globalization of indifference.”
“What a great thirst for death, for killing we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of the world,” Leo said, quoting Francis.
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