Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth's calls for "victory in the Middle East in the name of Jesus Christ" have drawn sharp commentary from Pope Leo XIV.
The head of the Roman Catholic Church said that the Christian mission is often distorted by a desire for domination and that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war. The pope stressed: "Do not involve the name of God in elections that bring death".
"Military domination is "foreign to the path of Jesus Christ. "We tend to consider ourselves strong when we dominate, victorious when we destroy our equals, great when we are feared," the Vatican head said in a sermon before Easter.
Earlier, the pope also rejected Hegseth's prayer for violence against enemies who "deserve no mercy."
"May every projectile hit the enemies of justice and our great nation," the minister of prayer said.
The pope said God ignores the prayers of leaders who wage war and have blood on their hands.