Pope condemns the “illusion of omnipotence” fueling Iran’s war in a peaceful vigil

“In prayer, our limited human potential is connected to God’s infinite potential. Then thoughts, words and actions break the satanic cycle of evil and are put at the service of the Kingdom of God,” he said at a prayer held in St. Peter’s Basilica.

He continued: “A kingdom in which there is no sword, no drone, no revenge, no belittlement of evil, no unfair gain, but only dignity, understanding and forgiveness. Here we find a bulwark against the illusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and which has become increasingly aggressive and unpredictable.”

In his posts on X and during the prayer vigil, the Pope also warned that war “divides” while… Hope and faith Uniting humanity.

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Pope Leo XIV leads a peace vigil inside St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Saturday. (Gregorio Borgia/AP Photo)

He wrote, “Enough of the worship of self and money. Enough of the show of power. Enough of the war.” “True strength appears in the service of life.”

The Archbishop of Tehran, Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, was among those sitting in the pews.

Liu’s words came on the same day Vice President J.D. Vance An American delegation began direct talks with Iran amid an unstable ceasefire.

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These were some of the first American pope’s strongest words yet after he called the president Donald Trump’s threat to Iran Tuesday is “really unacceptable.”

“Today, as we all know, there was this threat as well Against all The people of Iran“This is truly unacceptable. There are certainly issues of international law here, but more than that it is a moral issue for the benefit of the entire population,” the pope said earlier this week.

Pope Leo (Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters)

Trump wrote on the Truth Social website:An entire civilization will die TonightIt will not be returned again. “I don’t want that to happen, but it will probably happen… God bless the great Iranian people.”

Hours later, the president announced For two weeks The ceasefire is subject to Iran’s agreement to “the complete, immediate and safe opening of the border crossing.” Strait of Hormuz“, the president wrote in another post.

As the high-stakes talks began Saturday in Islamabad, Trump told reporters outside the White House: “We’re winning no matter what happens. Maybe they’ll reach a deal, maybe they won’t.”

Islamabad hosted peace talks between Iran and the United States on Saturday. (Farouk Naeem/AFP via Getty Images)

For more than a month, the pope has limited his remarks to silent appeals for peace, but in his Easter blessing last Sunday he urged “those who carry weapons to lay them down. Let those who have the power to wage wars be abandoned.” Choose peace“.

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Liu also recalled what he said were his last words Pope Francis Issued to the world from the same balcony a year ago, the late Pope warned against the “globalization of indifference.”

“How great is the thirst for death, for killing that we witness every day in the world Many conflicts “It is raging in different parts of the world,” Liu said, citing Francis.

Fox News Channel’s Yasmine Baher and The Associated Press contributed to this report.