Hegseth's War Prayer and the Pope's Rebuke
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth led a Pentagon prayer service on March 26, 2026, praying for "overwhelming violence of action" and asking that "every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness" in the name of Jesus Christ. Pope Leo XIV responded on Palm Sunday, declaring that God "does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war." The confrontation escalated when the Pentagon excluded Catholics from Good Friday services. Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the military's top Catholic leader, declared on Face the Nation that the Iran war does not meet Catholic just war criteria.
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