Money byte:
"Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: 'Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood' (Is 1:15)."
Pope Leo XIV on Palm Sunday
HOMILY OF POPE LEO XIV
Dear brothers and sisters,
As Jesus walks the Way of the Cross, we place ourselves behind him, following in his footsteps. As we walk with him, we contemplate his passion for the sake of humanity, his broken heart, and his life as a gift of love.
We turn our gaze to Jesus, who reveals himself as King of Peace, even as war looms abounds him. He remains steadfast in meekness, while others are stirring up violence. He offers himself to embrace humanity, even as others raise swords and clubs. He is the light of the world, though darkness is about to engulf the earth. He came to bring life, even as plans unfold to condemn him to death.
King of Peace. Jesus’ desire is to bring the world into the Father’s arms, tearing down every barrier that separates us from God and from our neighbor, for “He is our peace” (Eph 2:14).
King of Peace. Jesus enters into Jerusalem not upon a horse, but upon a donkey, fulfilling the ancient prophecy that calls for rejoicing at the arrival of the Messiah: “Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war-horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations” (Zech 9:9–10).
King of Peace. When one of his disciples drew his sword to defend him and struck the high priest’s servant, Jesus immediately stopped him, saying: “Put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Mt 26:52).
King of Peace. While he was burdened with our sufferings and pierced for our sins, Jesus “did not open his mouth, like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent” (Is 53:7). He did not arm himself, or defend himself, or fight any war. He revealed the gentle face of God, who always rejects violence. Rather than saving himself, he allowed himself to be nailed to the cross, embracing every cross borne in every time and place throughout human history.
Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: “Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood” (Is 1:15).
As we set our gaze upon him who was crucified for us, we can see a crucified humanity. In his wounds, we see the hurts of so many women and men today. In his last cry to the Father, we hear the weeping of those who are crushed, who have no hope, who are sick and who are alone. Above all, we hear the painful groans of all those who are oppressed by violence and are victims of war.
Christ, King of Peace, cries out again from his cross: God is love! Have mercy! Lay down your weapons! Remember that you are brothers and sisters!
In the words of the Servant of God, Bishop Tonino Bello, I would like to entrust this cry to Mary Most Holy, who stands beneath the cross of her Son and weeps also at the feet of those who are crucified today:
“Holy Mary, woman of the third day, grant us the certainty that, in spite of all, death will no longer hold sway over us; that the injustices of peoples are numbered; that the flashes of war are fading into the twilight; that the sufferings of the poor are breathing their last. And grant, finally, that the tears of all the victims of violence and pain will soon be dried up like frost beneath the spring sun” (Maria, donna dei nostri giorni).
16 comments:
Amen!!! No more war.
The palm branches on the ground are genius! Have we seen them before?
Nice. I don’t think so, though.
It would be great to see the Pope and the Church focus and press full speed ahead with its major mission - the saving of souls. I don't see what is to be gained by proclaiming/asserting that "Jesus does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them". Have King David, Joshua, King Saul, or Elijah slipped his mind? Or Moses facing the Amalekites; Or Hezekiah, Samson, Gideon, SaintJoan of Arc, Saint George, Saint Cornelius? What about Saint Thomas Aquinas' careful work on Just War Theory? Or in even more modern times, the Christian general George Washington?
Should the German army and Axid powere have been left to destroy Europe, bomb Eng;land to oblivion, or the Japanese be allowed to attack mainland USA and conquer the Asian theater? Yes, war is hell and life is precious; the world is in a very dark place, with evil everywhere.
Still, saving the souls of mankind is the Church's highest mission.
Help me to understand. I am puzzled.
By this "logic" I guess we would have not stopped Hitler shoving more Jews into the oven! Was Christ then unjustified in driving the money changers from the Temple by force? Is Leo better than Julius II who on horseback fought in battle? Are Catholic prelates just limp wristed girliemen who will no longer fight to protect the weak? I prefer popes who exhorted Europe when there were still men there, Deus Vult!
Does God really not hear our prayers?? He may not like our prayers or choose to not answer our prayers...but to single out those who wage wars?? What about other sins? Did he not hear the prayers of King David?? What about the Popes who fought the crusades?
Pope Leo is between a rock and a hard place as an American Pope. I think his words are in reaction to an almost blasphemous prayer, if not blasphemous from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. At a public Pentagon Prayer this is what he prayed: “Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation,” Hegseth said in the prayer service. “Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.” The current Republican regime is instrumentalizing religion for political and war purposes. I believe too, that Hegseth’s own pastor recently said that Catholic Eucharistic Process should be banned. Catholic prayer would never pray for overwhelming violence of abortion against those who deserve no mercy. Really!? Catholic pray for the world’s conversion to Christ and peace! Pope Leo is correct about God not hearing this kind of blasphemy.
Eucharistic Processions
Pope Leo may be in a difficult position, but that does not excuse falling into the opposite error. Condemning everyone engaged in war without qualification is simply wrong and demonstrates complete ignorance of both Biblical and Church history. Our Pope is sounding more like an Anabaptist pacifist than a Catholic.
I think that whoever helps write the pope’s homilies failed him in this case, not so much in the teaching but saying God does not hear the prayers of those who…Of course He does hear them, but may well condemn blasphemous prayers, like praying for abortion clinics and those who provide abortions and those who wage and unjust war that kills so many innocent civilians, euphemistically called “collateral damage.” The just war theory, and it is only a theory, does not seem to be applicable to this particular war and what Israel and the USA are doing now and what Israel did to Gaza. What they are doing to Lebanon is a crime, 1,000,000 innocent people there displaced.
Iran has not attacked the US in a traditional war. But the mullas have been waging a shadow and proxy war against the West in general, and the US in particular, since 1979, ever since the Islamic takeover. "Death to America," right? The link below summarizes the attacks.
They showed their true colors by recently attacking nearly every nearby country, many supposedly their allies. They have brutalized their people for years, with multiple hangings, beheadings, imprisonments. It is not a secret that Iran desires to wipe Israel off the map via nuclear weapons. They have stated their intentions quite clearly.
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2025/06/19/iranian-and-iranian-backed-attacks-against-americans-1979-present/
It seems the world is a complicated place, without easy answers. One thing is sure - the Church must focus on leading us all toward salvation.
what would the "world" have said if Iran developed a nuke and lobbed it on the Vatican? "Oops!"
Oh I see, kill or abort innocent people to reach a higher goal. And pray for violence. And you consistently call out FRMJK for belonging to the Democratic Party. Republicans and this president are just as corrupt and corrupt religious people by manipulating them.
The greatest threat is North Korea. And their nukes. Want to prevent them from nuking the Vatican and the USA by doing what is being done to Iran?
Protecting the world from a credible nuclear threat is not corrupt nor manipulation. The Mullahs just slaughtered 30,000 of their own people who are suffering under that evil Regime and would not hesitate to blow up the Vatican. But we can thank a moronic, Georgian, Jimmy Carter for empowering the Mullahs. The Shah was no sweetheart, but women weren't being forced to wear burkas nor were gays being tossed off of buildings.
Thanks Fr for your responses above. I was not aware of the Pete Hegseth prayer in detail...that's a little crazy...he could have made similar comments...fine....but not in a prayer. But that is the flawed theology of the Evangelicals.
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