Pope Leo has deplored the ”atrocious violence” in the Middle East: “Pope Leo Decries ‘Atrocious Violence’ in Iran War, Urges Ceasefire,” Algemeiner, March 15, 2026:
“I hope for paths of dialogue that can support the country’s authorities in implementing lasting solutions to the serious crisis currently underway, for the common good of all the Lebanese people,” the pope said….
The Lebanese state has been in a fruitless dialogue with Hezbollah for more than a decade. It has led to nothing. Hezbollah is convinced that it is more powerful than the state, and until recently, that was true. But two things have happened to undermine that view. First, the Americans have provided the Lebanese National Army with hundreds of millions of dollars in weaponry just in the last year, with more to be delivered this year. Second, IDF attacks have greatly weakened Hezbollah in the war that Hezbollah began on October 8, 2023. About five thousand of its combatants have been killed; the exploding “pagers” severely wounded four thousand in 2024, and they are now unfit for combat. And Hezbollah’s massive store of 150,000 missiles and rockets that it had at the beginning of this latest war with Israel has been reduced by 80%. The Lebanese army no longer fears being overwhelmed. Instead, President Aoun and other Lebanese leaders have become much more confrontational with Hezbollah. The Lebanese army has deployed south of the Litani River, challenging Hezbollah’s positions, and searching for Hezbollah’s weaponry in order to confiscate or destroy its arsenal. The government has banned military activities by any group other than the National Army. It has also banned the term “resistance” — which is what Hezbollah calls itself in state media — and has deployed the army to disrupt Hezbollah activities in Beirut itself. The pope does not understand that Hezbollah is the enemy of the Lebanese state.
“Some even go so far as to invoke the name of God to justify these choices of death, but God cannot be enlisted by darkness. Rather, He always comes to bring light, hope and peace to humanity.”
Neither the Americans nor the Israelis invoke God to justify their attacks on Iran’s missiles and nuclear program. It is only the Iranians who constantly appeal to Allah to make Muslims victorious over their non-Muslim enemies. It is clear from his remarks that Pope Leo doesn’t realize that.
He also speaks contemptuously of the “absurd claim that problems and disagreements can be resolved through war.” What is he talking about? There’s nothing “absurd” about it. World War II “resolved the problem” of the Nazi attempt to make themselves masters of Europe, and “resolved the problem” of Imperial Japan’s war to take over much of East Asia. World War I helped the Allies to “resolve the problem” of the decrepit Austro-Hungarian Empire, ended the Ottoman Empire, and bought Europe two decades of peace. The American Civil War “resolved the problem of slavery and the threat to the Union.” Does Pope Leo deplore the outcomes of World War II and the American Civil War?
Study more history, please, Pope Leo. You can make the time. Your creature comforts are all taken care of. Start, say, with the American Revolution in 1776, the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, and what historians call the Long Nineteenth Century. Once you’ve done all that, you can continue by studying our unappetizing twentieth century, and beyond, right up to the present. In addition, please read — with an explanatory gloss provided by Robert Spencer in his The Critical Qur’an: Explained from Key Islamic Commentaries and Contemporary Historical Research — the Qur’an, and, in the “authentic” (sahih) collections of Bukhari and Muslim, many of the most important hadith.
Once you’ve burned the midnight oil, I’d be glad to hear your views, now properly informed, on who is responsible for the “atrocious violence” in the Middle East, and whether you still believe that “war resolves nothing.”
somehistory says
The young teen David, first had dialogue, “You come to me with a sword, spear and javelin. I come to you with the Name of Jehovah God of Armies.”
Then, David told the giant exactly what he was going to do
“This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. ”
And then, he did it.
War is sometimes necessary. Of course, this creature has been an advocate of islime before and he continues to be.
Pray Hard says
As he’s speaking English and not German or Japanese.
Wellington says
Holy Hel, this doofus is worse than Francis. No mean feat.
PR says
Agreed. Makes one wonder, who is running the Church, As, why was Francis chosen, then, his successor being even more demented than him?
William Kemmler says
Holy Heck, this man was mentored and elevated in the Catholic hierarchy by Bergoglio (aka Francis) as his replacement when he died and is continuing Bergoglio’s agenda for the destruction of the the church and Western civilization with a vengeance.
Tim gallagher says
How can anyone be that stupid. So what he is really saying is just let murderously violent Islam take over or that vicious regime that runs China. A total pacifist is a total fool.
WPM says
He should take the miltary rifles and pistols away from the Swiss guard and he can come live outside his walled palace with the “commoners” who finance his life style thru donations. Thru appeasement tyrants ,despots ,will only be embolden to make us all slaves or dead. Communist ,Nazis ,and jihadist never tolerated Christianity without western armies fighting wars against these ideologies .Christianity including Roman Catholic church would be erased .Brave hard men on the wall of western values have held the line for many years. The church leaders have forgotten the lessons of two world wars and the Crusades that push jihadist out of Europe around 1682.
Tim gallagher says
What you say is spot on, wpm. The Nazis would have won WW2 in a walkover if people had followed this foolish popes view of things. Also I know that Christian churches have a concept of a just war but this pope doesn’t seem to have heard of that or he disagrees with that concept.
gravenimage says
Yep. And teatr down that “Islamophobic” wall.
PMK says
Neville Chamberlain tried the peace in our time gambit. It didn’t work. The Lord didn’t bring light, hope and peace to humanity. It took many years of fighting against an evil regime to bring even a semblance of peace. Leo wants peace at any price.
dumbledoresarmy says
John Quincy Adams would beg to differ. And John Quincy Adams was not theologically uninformed. He was, most likely, aware of what St Paul says… that those who govern may use ‘the sword’ to restrain evil. Not to eradicate it from hearts… that is a different thing. But to restrain it. And he stated plainly, when he was discussing Islam, that only by the sword could Islam be counteracted.
I quote: “AS THE ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLE [JQA’s only capitals] of his [Mohammed’s] faith is the subjugation of others by the sword; it is only by force, that his false doctrines can be dispelled, and his power annihilated.”
And JQA on the Greek war of independence against their Ottoman Muslim oppressors:”If ever insurrection was holy in the eyes of God, such was that of the Greeks against their Mahometan oppressors…”.
Would Pope Leo morally equivalence the police, as they go about hunting down and arresting a psycho serial killer, or a gang of rapists and kidnappers, or human traffickers, and those that they are pursuing? Would he dare to argue that ONLY ‘dialogue’ should be used with a psycho serial killer? With a nuke-armed suicide-bomber?
gravenimage says
+1
࿗Infidel࿘ says
This religion was either the most belligerent, like during the Holy Roman Empire, or a supine pacifist like today. Wonder whether they ever hit the sweet spot in the middle?
Spiro says
He shows his ignorance of history
Not to mention what Jesus said There will be wars and rumors of wars but dont be afraid that’s just the beginning of the end ti.es ( i think I have most of that corrdcy )
mgoldberg says
Where is George Weigel these days. I have his book- he a Catholic theologian and professor, who wrote Faith, Reason, and the War Against Jihadism (Doubleday, 2007). I haven’t read anything of his for yrs now. I remember his book was spot on back then, but that was the time of the last Pope who had Oriana Fallaci into his study for some 3 hours to help him understand the state of Jihad.
James Lincoln says
And all the while I thought that whoever was selected to be Pope had to have at least a very basic knowledge of world history.
Pope Leo has none.
Adrian Fegan says
He’s right of course
But when you have an absurd opponent
You have to respond with absurdity
gravenimage says
Pope Leo Decries ‘Absurd Claim That Problems and Disagreements Can Be Resolved Through War’
…………………………………………………………………….
So the Fascists should have won, because no one would fight them? And the Vatican would have been destroyed by invading Muslims centures since–Is Leo good with that?
Westman says
Crusades, anyone?
But that was when Europe was actually Christian. Does Leo think when Islam controls Italy that it won’t absorb the Vatican?
The EU athiests won’t raise an army for anyone. Eat, drink, and be merry, until the OPM runs out.
somehistory says
The atheists complain that Christians don’t arm themselves and fight back to destroy the barracks and kill the muzzies.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
I think that the Vatican is more likely to fall to islam even before Italy is. At that point, maybe Italy could revert to the ancient Roman faith
somehistory says
Ot….what would the pope creature say about it?
“Watch: Australia’s PM called a ‘putrid dog’ and chased out of mosque”
“Australia’s prime minister was forced into a back-door escape from one of the country’s largest mosques on Friday after being called a “genocide supporter” and a “putrid dog”.
The confrontation at Lakemba Mosque, in Sydney’s southwest, turned a religious celebration marking the end of Ramadan into a political revolt
Anthony Albanese, the prime minister, attended alongside Tony Burke, the home affairs minister, and sat in silence as the event descended into chaos.
Video footage shows a man shouting “genocide supporters!” directly at the leaders, while others scream: “Why is he in here? Get him out of here!” Some of the other attendees, however, appeared welcoming to the political leaders.
The protest is rooted in a breakdown of trust between the Labor government and Australia’s Middle Eastern community over the handling of the war in Gaza – Reuters
As the crowd pushed to get closer to the prime minister, Gamel Kheir, the mosque’s secretary, pleaded for calm.
“Respect the place you’re in,” Mr Kheir said, as physical altercations broke out in the mosque.
In one moment, an attendee was seen having his mouth forcibly covered by another in an attempt to silence the shouting.
“We must engage and have frank and open dialogue with our political leaders, and not shy away and be reclusive,” Mr Kheir said..”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/watch-australia-s-pm-called-a-putrid-dog-and-chased-out-of-mosque/ar-AA1Z19NF?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=69bcc7cb932e412ebfe1c8e5a2ca4e97&ei=7
somehistory says
“He was drowned out by shouting: “You called him honourable, he’s responsible for the deaths of one million people, one million of our brothers and sisters,” another attendee shouted.
Security details rushed Mr Albanese into the mosque’s administrative offices. He was ushered out through a rear exit as his motorcade departed to cries of “shame on you” and the slur “Alba-tizi”, a derogatory Arabic play on his surname referencing the buttocks.”
“He wants to come here after shaking hands with the President of Israel, who’s got blood on his hands,” said 29-year-old Ibrahim Seklaoui, who confronted the prime minister. “To come here and act like nothing has happened is a disgrace.”
The resentment has been simmering since February, when police forcibly removed Muslims while they were praying during a protest against Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president, at Sydney’s Town Hall.”
somehistory says
“This, combined with a surge in Islamophobic incidents following a terror attack at Bondi Beach in December, has left many feeling abandoned by a government they claim is slow to protect them.
Central to the discontent are the Combating Anti-Semitism, Hate and Extremism laws passed in January 2026.
The legislation’s use two weeks ago to formally ban Hizb ut-Tahrir as a “prohibited hate group” triggered outrage, a move critics said targeted Muslim dissent while failing to protect the community from rising anti-Islamic vitriol.
Founded in the 1950s to establish a global caliphate, Hizb ut-Tahrir was proscribed in the UK in 2024 for praising the Oct 7 attacks as the work of “heroes”.
The group has long maintained a vocal presence in Sydney’s west, but the Australian government’s move to follow the British ban this month now makes membership a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Despite the ignominious exit, Mr Albanese later posted photos to X showing him smiling and shaking hands with attendees.”
GFF says
Leo sure ain’t no Leonidas.
Leo’s words sound like “hand over your weapons”. I trust we all know Leonidas’s response…
Karen Dowden says
Francis was terrible and I had hoped for an improvement in Leo. Am I disappointed and somewhat disgusted. They both pander to Islam and I am convinced that it is the Vatican’s policy.
Just believe in God/Higher Power and draw on your own spirituality. Religion is a set of rules and regulations, rites and rituals that brainwash people to feel that it will all make them holier.
And the majority of Catholics still drink in every word they say!!
Sad.
Major Tom says
Let’s not forget the history of the Roman church and the pogroms against the European Christians..
The hung them from trees like apples…..