Pope Leo XIV denounces war justification at Palm Sunday Mass
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- Pope Leo XIV emphasized during Palm Sunday Mass that God is the "king of peace" who rejects war, countering claims by various leaders who use religion to justify conflicts such as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- He prayed especially for Christians in the Middle East suffering due to ongoing conflicts, highlighting their inability to fully observe holy rites during these difficult times.
- For the first time in centuries, Jerusalem police prevented Catholic church leaders from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday, according to the Latin Patriarchate.
- Pope Leo XIV is restoring traditional Holy Week practices, including the Holy Thursday foot-washing ceremony at St. John Lateran, reversing Pope Francis’ recent custom of performing the ritual in prisons and refugee centers.
- Leo will lead key Holy Week liturgies in Rome, including Good Friday’s Colosseum procession, the Easter Vigil baptism of new Catholics, and Easter Sunday Mass with the traditional Easter blessing in St. Peter’s Square.
