Pope: 'There Is No Such Thing as a Holy War'

Key Points:

• Pope Leo XIV condemned the use of religion to justify wars, stating in a video message to religious leaders in Assisi that "there is no such thing as a holy war" and emphasizing that "only peace is holy."
• The message was delivered during a gathering marking the 40th anniversary of an interfaith peace meeting initiated by St. John Paul II, which promoted interreligious cooperation for peace.
• Leo criticized the resurgence of war as a tool of international politics and called for rebuilding peace, rejecting claims by various religious groups, including Russia's Orthodox Church and some US officials, that their conflicts are divinely sanctioned.
• The Assisi event included leaders from multiple faiths and coincided with increased Vatican humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, following a localized ceasefire in Oleshky and Pope Leo's recent call to Russian President Putin for ceasefire and aid delivery.
• Pope Leo's stance aligns with his earlier teachings, notably in his encyclical "Magnificent Humanity," where he condemned fighting in the name of religion as a distortion of true faith.