Pope Leo says God rejects prayers of leaders who wage wars

Pope Leo said on Sunday that God rejects the prayers of leaders who start wars and have "hands full of blood", in unusually forceful remarks as the Iran war entered its second month.



Addressing tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square on Palm Sunday, the celebration that opens the holiest week of the year in the lead-up to Easter for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, the pontiff said that Jesus cannot be used to justify any wars.



"This is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war," Leo, the first U.S. pope, told crowds in brilliant sunshine.



"(Jesus) does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: 'Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood'," he said, citing a Bible passage.



Leo did not specifically name any world leaders, but he has been ramping up criticism of the Iran war in recent weeks.



The pope, who is known for choosing his words carefully, has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict and said on Monday that military airstrikes are indiscriminate and should be banned.