THE BOMBING of Iran by the United States and Israel on Feb. 28 after negotiations failed in Geneva has triggered a war that has succeeded in overwhelming Tehran’s air defenses.
The back-and-forth attacks — part of what the US has called “Operation Epic Fury” — among the countries involved have destroyed both military and civilian infrastructure in Iran.
From March 1 to 20, US-Israeli bombings targeted military sites, civilian infrastructure, and members of Iran’s leadership. In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone strikes on Israel and US bases in the Gulf states, as well as energy facilities in the region. It also closed the vital Strait of Hormuz.
The closure infuriated US President Donald Trump. Writing on his Truth Social platform on April 7, Trump demanded Iran to reopen the strait, warning that if not, a “whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” On April 8, a ceasefire brokered by Pakistan prevented that threat from being carried out. That would have been a massive war crime if it happened.
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said he was “deeply troubled” by Trump’s remarks, saying they were totally inappropriate. And Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, condemned them as “morally impermissible,” saying attacks on civilian infrastructure violated international law. Such attacks are war crimes, and Trump and his commanders can be held responsible for them.
Pope Leo then urged them to consider the “many innocent people” who would become victims of such violence. He said it was an “unjust war” and a “scandal to the whole human family” that resolves nothing, but instead “amplifies” problems and leaves lasting wounds.
He urged world leaders to return to dialogue and diplomacy to stop the conflict before it becomes an “irreparable abyss.”
Pope Leo has also criticized the use of religious language to justify the armed conflict, saying God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war,” and warning against a “delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive.”
He went on to say that “[e]ven the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death. Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life.” He even said he had “no fear” of the Trump administration and would continue to speak the “message of the Gospel.”
The pontiff’s words did not please Trump at all. In response, he called the pope “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy.” He said: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela… And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do… Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.”
Trump falsely claimed that Pope Leo supports Iran having a nuclear weapon, and was wrong in saying the pontiff ignored the massacre of thousands of Iranian protestors.
But Pope Leo has already condemned the wanton killing of people. Trump recently told reporters at the White House that “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo,” and said the pontiff was “wrong on the issues.” (To be continued)/PN
