PR in the Philippines

(SeaPRwire) –   During a Saturday vigil for peace, Pope Leo identified the “delusion of omnipotence” as the driving force behind war.

“In prayer, our limited human capabilities are united with God’s boundless potential. Our thoughts, words, and actions then disrupt the destructive cycle of evil and are dedicated to the service of God’s Kingdom,” he stated during a prayer service held at St. Peter’s Basilica.

He elaborated, “This is a Kingdom devoid of swords, drones, retribution, the trivialization of wrongdoing, or illicit gains, but instead characterized by dignity, comprehension, and pardon. It is within this realm that we discover a defense against the pervasive and increasingly unpredictable and aggressive delusion of omnipotence that engulfs us.”

In his pronouncements on X and during the prayer vigil, the pontiff also cautioned that while war “divides,” hope and faith serve to unite humanity.

“We have had enough of self-worship and the pursuit of wealth. Enough of the ostentatious display of power. Enough of war,” he declared. “True strength is demonstrated through service to life.”

Among the attendees was the archbishop of Tehran, Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu.

Pope Leo’s remarks coincided with the commencement of face-to-face discussions between Vice President JD Vance, leading a U.S. delegation, and Iran, amidst a fragile ceasefire.

These statements represented some of the American pontiff’s most forceful condemnations to date, following his earlier assertion that President Donald Trump’s threat against Iran on Tuesday was “truly unacceptable.”

“Today, as we are all aware, there has also been this threat against the entire Iranian populace, and this is truly unacceptable,” the pope had stated earlier in the week. “While there are undoubtedly matters of international law involved, this is even more so a moral issue concerning the welfare of the entire population.”

Trump had posted on Truth Social, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will… God Bless the Great People of Iran!”

Several hours later, the president announced a two-week ceasefire, contingent upon Iran’s agreement to “the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz,” as stated in another post by the president.

As the critical talks began on Saturday in Islamabad, Trump informed reporters outside the White House, “We win regardless of what happens. Maybe they make a deal, maybe they don’t.”

For over a month, the pope had confined his public statements to subdued calls for peace. However, in his Easter blessing last Sunday, he implored, “Let those with weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace.”

Pope Leo also referenced what he described as the final words issued to the world by Pope Francis from the same balcony a year prior, during which the late pontiff had warned of a “globalization of indifference.”

“What a great thirst for death, for killing we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of the world,” Leo stated, quoting Francis.

‘ Jasmine Baehr and