Pope Leo: “War Is Never Holy” — Leaders Must Tear Down Walls and End Violence

Pope Leo is done watching self-described Christian leaders praise God with one breath and glorify cruelty with the next.

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On a crisp evening outside the Colosseum, Pope Leo XIV joined dozens of faith leaders to plead for peace in our conflict-scarred world.

Standing before that monument to a fourth-century military victory, Leo’s message was the opposite of triumphalism. He looked out at representatives of every creed and declared, “Enough of war, with all the pain it causes through death, destruction, and exile!”

This era of “war and the arrogance of power” must end, the pope insisted, giving rise to “a new era” built on dialogue and reconciliation.

In his address for peace, Pope Leo pulled no punches. He warned that no conflict can ever be justified in God’s name. “War is never holy; only peace is holy, because it is willed by God!” the pope proclaimed, explicitly rejecting the twisted idea of a “holy war.”

True faith, he argued, never turns people into enemies. On the contrary, prayer opens hearts and “tents of encounter,” transforming even long-held grudges into oases of brotherhood.

With visible passion, Leo urged everyone — from ordinary believers to heads of state — to choose the “constant journey of reconciliation” over any ideology of conquest.

The pope’s words were aimed squarely at those in power. He reminded presidents and prime ministers that “to put an end to war is a solemn duty before God incumbent on all those holding political responsibilities.”

Ending war isn’t a mere policy preference; in Leo’s eyes, it’s a sacred obligation. Peace, he told the crowd, “is the priority of all politics.”

The pope also decried the toxic pride that feeds today’s conflicts, condemning “the arrogance of power” driving so many leaders toward aggression.

It was a not-so-subtle indictment of modern-day strongmen: those who stoke fear, flex their military might, and build their personal agendas on the backs of the vulnerable.

Leo’s plea for peace extended beyond the battlefield to the border. The gathering’s final joint appeal implored the world to “build bridges, not walls… stop wars and open a time of reconciliation.”

Pope Leo’s embrace of that line was an explicit challenge to the rising walls between nations. In fact, this entire month, the pope has been on a moral offensive against the politics of division.

Just days ago in Rome, he lambasted the mistreatment of migrants as “grave crimes… tolerated by the state,” warning that policies treating human beings “as if they were garbage and not human” betray our faith.

And he has openly questioned whether the bellicose rhetoric coming out of world capitals — Washington included — bears any trace of justice or “pro-life” values.

Simply put, Leo is done watching self-described Christian leaders praise God with one breath and glorify cruelty with the next.

For Pope Leo, peace is not a political slogan but the very essence of his ministry.

It was literally his first word as pope: stepping onto the balcony of St. Peter’s on May 8, he greeted the world with “Peace be with all of you!” and urged humanity to “help each other to build bridges… uniting all of us to be one people always in peace.”

Nearly six months later, that same refrain echoes through his every action. This first American pope has made it abundantly clear where the Church stands in these tumultuous times.

In a world still scarred by war zones and divided by walls, Pope Leo is firmly planting the cross on the side of peace.

His message to every leader — and every believer — could not be more direct or more urgent: No war is holy. Tear down those walls. Choose peace.

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Thank you for reading. I’ll see you on the road.