Pope Leo XIV Says ‘There Is No Such Thing As A Holy War’ In Message To Religious Leaders

Pope Leo XIV has denounced attempts to justify wars in the name of religion, declaring that “there is no such thing as a holy war” and that “only peace is holy” in a video message to religious leaders gathered in Assisi, Italy, on Tuesday.

The American-born pontiff condemned the growing use of war as an instrument of international politics and warned against invoking faith to legitimise military aggression. He was originally scheduled to attend the gathering in person but cancelled his participation while recovering from lung cancer surgery on October 13.

The meeting brought together religious leaders, including Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally, the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, alongside Muslim, Buddhist and other Christian representatives. Held in the hilltop town of Assisi, the gathering marked the 40th anniversary of an interfaith peace meeting convened by Pope John Paul II in 1986.

That historic meeting was controversial at the time because it brought leaders of different faiths together to pray for peace. It subsequently inspired a movement of interreligious dialogue and peace appeals.

In his message, Leo called for renewed commitment to the “spirit of Assisi” amid what he described as a “troubling revival of war as an instrument of international politics”. “War can never be waged in the name of God,” he said, urging leaders to “rebuild peace everywhere, not prepare for more wars”.

The pope’s remarks come as religious arguments have increasingly featured in discussions surrounding ongoing conflicts. Russia’s Orthodox Church has described Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine as a “holy war” against what it considers a morally corrupt Western world. US officials, including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, have also invoked Christian faith while discussing the Iran war.

Leo has repeatedly rejected such religious justifications for violence. In his first encyclical, Magnificent Humanity, he argued that fighting in the name of religion amounted to an attack on religion itself.

Meanwhile, the Vatican is expanding its humanitarian assistance to Ukraine following the entry into force of a localised ceasefire in the devastated southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky.

Monsignor Luis Marín de San Martín, the pope’s chief almsgiver, began a three-day visit to Ukraine on Tuesday, carrying several truckloads of winter clothing, blankets and food for distribution in Kyiv. His planned itinerary included Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro and Fastiv.

“We want to understand directly the needs and meet with the local people, real people, real faces,” he told Vatican News, adding that the mission aimed to convey the pope’s concern for people suffering from the war.