OPINION:
President Trump’s now-scrubbed image of him in saintly garb healing an infirm man set the internet ablaze, with claims of blasphemy ringing out even among some of Mr. Trump’s staunchest supporters.
While some critics felt the image made the president seem like a Christ-like figure, he rebuffed such assertions. Meanwhile, an even bigger battle brewed amid Mr. Trump’s very public clash with Pope Leo XIV over the ongoing Iran war.
At the center of the back-and-forth was the pontiff’s social media message that ignited a theological battle and seemingly infuriated Mr. Trump.
“God does not bless any conflict,” the Catholic leader wrote on X. “Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.
“Military action will not create space for freedom or times of #Peace, which comes only from the patient promotion of coexistence and dialogue among peoples.”
This statement, while meritorious, is also deeply problematic, especially considering the pontiff’s definitiveness and dearth of context.
Jesus certainly proclaimed a powerful message of peace in Matthew 5:9 (NIV) when he said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” And Christ repeatedly calls for believers to feed and clothe enemies and to care for those who persecute.
But the pope’s message falls short in several areas. The opening statement alone is problematic. One could certainly haggle over what it might mean to “bless” a conflict, but there are undoubtedly times in the Bible when God actually implores people toward acts of war — or, at the least, empowers them to achieve victory for His purposes.
From the Conquest of Canaan to God’s dealing with the Amalekites, the Old Testament captures some of these moments. I’m by no means proclaiming that the Iran war fits this same theological bill, but Pope Leo’s statement doesn’t leave any room for nuance.
And when he goes on to state that any person who is a “disciple of Christ” is “never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs,” I’m again a bit perplexed.
The issue isn’t whether peace should be the objective. The problem is the pontiff’s failure to appeal to biblical and even contemporary times when war and violence are portrayed as protective or leading to a greater good.
And Pope Leo’s conclusion of the X message only adds to the confusion, as he stated that military action won’t create “space for freedom or times of peace.”
History is littered with instances of military action achieving great freedoms. From the American Revolution to the valiant fight to stop Germany’s horrors during World War II, there are countless times when freedom and peace have been achieved through force.
Peace should always be the objective, but definitive statements such as these are deeply unhelpful, because they fail to take into account the complexities of life — and history.
Bishop James Massa, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, put out a statement after Mr. Trump and Pope Leo sparred, clarifying the Catholic Church’s “just war” doctrine.
“For over a thousand years, the Catholic Church has taught just war theory and it is that long tradition the Holy Father carefully references in his comments on war,” he wrote. “A constant tenet of that thousand-year tradition is a nation can only legitimately take up the sword ’in self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed.’ That is, to be a just war it must be a defense against another who actively wages war, which is what the Holy Father actually said: ’He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.’”
The Iran war is complex, though it’s hard not to see the menacing Iranian regime running the Middle Eastern nation as one that has been endlessly engaged in war, terror and an array of horrors.
From Iran’s decades of funding evil acts to the Oct. 7, 203, attacks on Israel, it would seem, in many respects, that stopping the regime’s active war engagement against innocents is long overdue.
The pontiff’s comments were certainly well-intentioned. But the claim that no conflict will be “blessed” without context feels problematic. Furthermore, the belief — from a strictly secular perspective — that military action cannot create “space for freedom or times of peace” is historically inaccurate.
The Old Testament notes in Psalm 11:5 (NIV) that “the Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.” War itself isn’t the issue; it’s the motivation for violence and the penchant for evil for which God has disdain.
Tragically, there are times when war, even with its evils, is what finally instills peace. Bishop Massa’s clarification helps with context, though the pope should be more careful to include more context in future proclamations.
• Billy Hallowell is a digital TV host and interviewer for Faithwire and CBN News and the co-host of CBN’s “Quick Start Podcast.” Mr. Hallowell also is the author of four books.
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