Pope Leo has clear message for Donald Trump in first ever Easter Sunday address
Pope Leo spoke of “the deaths of thousands” and the impact of “hatred and division that conflict sows” during his first Easter Sunday speech at the Vatican.
Pope Leo appeared to take aim at Donald Trump in his first Easter speech, condemning what he called indifference to the “thousands” killed in the war.
With the US-Israeli war against Iran in its second month and the ongoing Russian campaign in Ukraine, Leo acknowledged a sense of indifference “in the face of the deaths of thousands of people.” […] to the repercussions of the hatred and division that conflicts sow – to the economic and social consequences they produce.”
Without mentioning the wars by name, Leo cited his predecessor, Pope Francis, who, in his last public appearance from the same loggia at Easter, reminded the faithful of the “great thirst for death, for murder, of which we witness every day.”
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His comments come as thousands have been killed in the Middle East since the United States and Israel struck Iran on February 28.
Violence continued to spread across the region, with attacks targeting Iranian targets as well as Israel, US bases and Gulf states. Israel also renewed its attacks on Lebanon, launching a ground invasion on March 2 after Hezbollah responded to the February 28 assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
According to the US-based human rights organization HRANA, 3,531 people have been killed since the start of the war, including 1,607 civilians and at least 244 children. Lebanese authorities say 1,368 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since March 2, including at least 124 children.
Between 500,000 and 1.5 million people, civilians and soldiers, have been killed or injured since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Speaking to the Vatican faithful today, the Pope said: “Those who have weapons, lay them down! Let those who have the power to start wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to meet them!”
The same day, Donald Trump threatened to blow up Iran’s power plants in a crude speech on Truth Social. Trump ordered Iran to ‘open the damn strait’ [of Hormuz]” or otherwise face hell, warning of U.S. attacks on Iranian infrastructure will be like nothing seen before.
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day, all rolled into one, in Iran,” Trump wrote. “There will be no such thing!!! Open the fucking straits, you crazy bastards, or you will live in hell – JUST LOOK! Praise Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The American president had set Iran a deadline of 10 days to open the Strait of Hormuz, on March 26. He said he would rain “hell” on the country if the deadline, which is due to expire on Monday, was not met.
