Pope Leo: God ‘does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war’

The Hill ^ | 3-29-26 | Max Rego

[MarlonRando]

“Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” the first American pope, citing a Bible passage, told congregants in St. Peter’s Square, according to The Associated Press.

“He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them,” he added.

[madison10]

Guess the Pope never read the Bible. The WHOLE Bible is about a war.

[PA Presbyterian]

I wish someone would put a cork in Hegseth’s mouth. All his posturing and belligerent bragging aren’t helping Trump or the Republican’s chances in the mid-terms.

[Organic Panic]

Pope Marx II speaks.

[Jan_Sobieski]

Question for the Pope, “Did God not listen to Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, Ehud, Samuel, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, the Kings of Judah, etc. ?”

[SPDSHDW]

This poope is of course, referring to some catholic fanfiction written in 945 in some cathedral by some Friar there, who decided arbitrarily that God took this position and they canonized it as true, instead of reading the Book of Joshua, Judges, and both books of Samuel. Not to mention all the other instances in the Bible....

[Uncle Miltie]

I miss Benedict.

[Ken Regis]

Not the BIG one, that’s certain.

[SaveFerris]

agreed

Just like the guy before him

[PTBAA]

So, were the men who fought to defeat the genocidal Nazi’s and Japanese and stop the murders of innocents, evil?

[chickenlips]

Yeah, they might still have one of those Bibles sitting somewhere in the Vatican.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Every document in the Vatican Library is a forgery. He would be advised to order one off Amazon.

[chickenlips]

I seem to remember reading about a Pope Julius II.

[GOPJ]

God, in the Bible, plenty of time told people to go to war. I’m not sure the pope has read The Book.

Maybe it's one more oh so privileged 'Pope' who's unable to understand there's a war between good and evil going on... a war God is well aware of - and one Catholic 'Popes are AWOL from - once again.

What's next? Lectures on global warming?

[skr]

Thank you. I hadn’t heard of this particular instance before.

[skr]

Stamp, not instance. Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten up so early. :}

[daniel1212]

The juvenile Babylon Bee of course conveniently leaves out Jesus.

Actually you are. This is not a holy war such as Rome and Prots engaged in the past, and the Lord stated:

Rom 13:1-4 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. (2) Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. (3) For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: (4) For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

But the use of the sword of men was never sanctioned for the church, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) (2 Corinthians 10:3-4)

Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. (John 18:36)

When the church does what the state is only sanctioned to do its long term effect is negative, as is the state doing what only the church is only sanctioned to do. To this day Muslims invoke the Crusades (which was that of the pope raising up armies to achieve her ends) as an example of Christian religious violence, which can never be laid at the feet of the NT church.

And Rome, who is claiming to be serving Jesus, exhorts RC civil rulers,

Secular authorities, whatever office they may hold, shall be admonished and induced and if necessary compelled by ecclesiastical censure,... to exterminate [another trans. reads "expel"] in the territories subject to their jurisdiction all heretics pointed out by the Church; so that whenever anyone shall have assumed authority, whether spiritual or temporal, let him be bound to confirm this decree by oath.

But if a temporal ruler, after having been requested and admonished by the Church, should neglect to cleanse his territory of this heretical foulness, let him be excommunicated by the metropolitan and the other bishops of the province. If he refuses to make satisfaction within a year, let the matter be made known to the supreme pontiff, that he may declare the ruler’s vassals absolved from their allegiance and may offer the territory to be ruled lay Catholics, ... - Canons of the Ecumenical Fourth Lateran Council (canon 3), 1215: (https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/lateran4.asp )

For,

The Church has the right, as a perfect and independent society provided with all the means for attaining its end, to decide according to its laws disputes arising concerning its internal affairs, especially as to the ecclesiastical rights of its members, also to carry out its decision, if necessary, by suitable means of compulsion, contentious or civil jurisdiction. It has, therefore, the right to admonish or warn its members, ecclesiastical or lay, who have not conformed to its laws and also, if needful to punish them by physical means, that is, coercive jurisdiction. — Catholic Encyclopedia Jurisdiction

Thus,

 Historical uses of physical means

Crusading and holy war

The Church’s support for the Crusades is the most obvious historical case of sanctioned physical force in the service of Catholic ends. By the medieval period, Catholic theology had made room for holy war and coercive defense of Christendom.christianhistoryinstitute+1

Coercion against heresy

Catholic teaching for centuries also supported state coercion against heresy, apostasy, and schism, especially in confessional states. The Church’s authority was understood as extending beyond mere teaching into enforcement, with punishments for public religious deviation.thepublicdiscourse+1

Ecclesiastical punishment

Within the Church itself, coercion included canonical penalties, exclusion, and in earlier eras, pressure through civil authority. The historical record of Catholic schooling and religious orders also includes corporal punishment in some settings, though that is a separate and more localized matter.endseclusion+1

Wars and force associated with Catholic policy

Here are the best-known examples where Catholic institutions or Catholic rulers acting under Catholic conceptions used physical force:

• The Crusades: armed campaigns to recover or defend Christian territories.catholic+1

• Wars against heretics: especially in the medieval and early modern periods, where religious dissent could be treated as a civil threat.firstthings+1

• Confessional-state repression: Catholic states sometimes enforced religious conformity through law, exile, imprisonment, or execution, with ecclesiastical support.thepublicdiscourse+1

• Just-war defense of Catholic polities: Catholic moral theology allowed force as a state right, including defensive, offensive, and punitive war under certain conditions.web.archive+1

• Crusades and other holy wars.christianhistoryinstitute+1

• Suppression of heresy by church-state cooperation.thepublicdiscourse+1

• Canonical punishments and ecclesiastical coercion.churchlifejournal.nd+1

• Support for confessional states using civil force to enforce religion.firstthings+1

• Corporal punishment in some Catholic institutions and schools.endseclusion

- perplexity.ai

[metmom]

I guess the Bee hits too close to home, eh?

I didn’t realize you were a Pope Leo supporter.

[montag813]

Also “Pope” Leo: God listens to the prayers of Muslims, so let’s give them a prayer room in the Vatican library (which he did).

[kinsman redeemer]

"juvenile" - Would you like to explain your word selection there?

juvenile
adjective
ju·​ve·​nile ˈjü-və-ˌnī(-ə)l -nᵊl
1
physiologically immature or undeveloped : young juvenile birds
2
a - of, relating to, characteristic of, or suitable for children or young people
b - of, or relating to young people who have committed or are accused of committing a criminal offense the juvenile justice system
3
reflecting psychological or intellectual immaturity : childish
4
derived from sources within the earth and coming to the surface for the first time

-------- Or, maybe you were trying to say,
"Out of the mouths of babes..."

"Out of the mouths of babes" is a well-known idiom that originates from the Bible, specifically Psalms 8:2. This phrase is often used to highlight how sometimes profound, wise, or surprising statements can unexpectedly come from children or those with less experience.

n.b. If you want you may use this as a way to explain yourself and avoid embarrassment.

[norwaypinesavage]

Leo seems to have let this pope thing go to his head.

[Tennessee Nana]

Except David Joshua Saul and a few others

Leo read the Bible !!!