Pope Leo XIV Calls for Peace on Easter as Trump Issues Profanity-Laced Warning to Iran

Easter Sunday 2026 brought a striking contrast between two powerful voices in American public life — one calling for peace from the Vatican, the other issuing a profanity-filled threat from the White House. The divide between Pope Leo XIV and President Donald Trump over the escalating conflict with Iran has become impossible to ignore.

In his first Easter mass as pope, Leo XIV — the first American-born pope in history — delivered a direct appeal to world leaders to step back from armed conflict. His message came the same day Trump took to social media with an aggressive ultimatum directed at Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz, demanding that Iran "Open the F--kin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell — JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah."

The contrast was sharp and deliberate. Leo's Easter homily urged the faithful and the powerful alike to choose a different path.

"Let us allow our hearts to be transformed by his immense love for us. Let those who have weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them."

The pontiff had opened his remarks by calling on people to "allow ourselves to be amazed by" Jesus Christ, framing the Easter message as one of transformation rather than confrontation.

A Military Archbishop Weighs In

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who leads the Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services USA, also addressed the tension between faith and war on Easter Sunday. Speaking on CBS News' "Face the Nation," Broglio acknowledged that Jesus "certainly brought a message of peace" and that armed conflict should "always" be considered a last resort.

While Broglio stopped short of condemning the Trump administration outright — noting that officials "may have information that led them to think" war "was the only choice they had" — he did not offer a full endorsement either.

"But I do think that it's hard to cast this war, you know, as something that would be sponsored by the Lord."

Broglio explained that without full knowledge of the factors driving the conflict, he could not pass final judgment on the administration's decisions.

The White House Response

The friction between the Vatican and the Trump White House is not new. Pope Leo has spoken out repeatedly against the Iran war as Trump has threatened to bomb bridges, energy, water, and oil infrastructure inside Iran if no deal is reached to reopen the throttled Strait of Hormuz.

Last Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt — herself a Catholic — pushed back after reporters asked about Leo's Palm Sunday homily, in which the pope said Jesus "does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them."

"We've seen presidents. We've seen the leaders of the Department of War, and we've seen our troops go to prayer during the most turbulent times in our nation's history," Leavitt said.

She went on to defend the administration's call for prayers on behalf of American service members.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with our military leaders or with the president calling on the American people to pray for our service members and those who are serving our country overseas. In fact, I think it's a very noble thing to do," she added. "And if you talk to many service members, they will tell you they appreciate the prayers and support from the commander in chief and from his Cabinet."

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Easter Sunday. Leo and U.S. Roman Catholic leaders have consistently voiced moral opposition to several Trump administration policies, including the Iran war and the administration's immigration crackdown.