House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed back Wednesday against Pope Leo XIV’s Palm Sunday remarks that God rejects war and does not hear the prayers of those who wage it.
Johnson, speaking to reporters at a Tax Day press conference on Capitol Hill, April 15, said he was surprised by the pope’s statement. He pointed to the Catholic Church’s traditional just war doctrine as a counterpoint.
“A religious leader can say anything they want, but obviously if you wade into political waters, you should expect some political response,” Johnson said. “Frankly, I was taken a bit aback by him saying something about ‘those who engage in war, Jesus doesn’t hear their prayers’ or something. There’s something called the ‘just war’ doctrine.”
The exchange stems from Pope Leo’s homily on March 29 during Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square. In it, the Chicago-born pontiff described Jesus as the “King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war.”
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While quoting Isaiah 1:15, the pole also revealed d that Jesus “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.” the verse says, “Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood.”
The comments came as the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, launched February 28, continued into its second month.
Epic Fury operation.
Epic Fury targeted Iranian military sites, missile capabilities, and leadership, including the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
U.S. officials described the strikes as necessary to neutralize nuclear threats and regional aggression.
Without directly criticizing the pope’s right to speak, Johnson suggested that religious figures who comment on policy matters open themselves to rebuttal.
He talked about the just war tradition, which St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas developed in Catholic theology: force can be morally acceptable if wielded by the proper authority, for a just cause, with pure intent, and only as a last resort.
Johnson’s remarks mirror the Trump administration’s position. White House officials have backed military action in Iran, while pointing out that presidents and troops have long turned to prayer amid conflicts.
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Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier that the nation’s Judeo-Christian foundations support calling for divine support for service members.
Pope Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, has repeatedly called for peace throughout the conflict in Iran. He has described a “delusion of omnipotence” driving violence and prayed for victims on all sides.
On April 13, aboard a flight to Algeria, he told reporters he has “no fear of the Trump administration” and would continue speaking from the Gospel’s call to reconciliation.
The clash shows long-established tensions between church leaders and governments over the morality of war. Catholic teaching has long included both strong peace principles and the just war criteria.
Mike Johnson challenges Pope’s statements.
This is not the first time Mike Johnson, a Southern Baptist, has engaged publicly with the Pope’s statements. In February, he responded to Leo’s appeal to Matthew 25:35 regarding welcoming strangers by arguing that Scripture also supports sovereign borders and civil order, citing Romans 13 on governing authorities.
Wednesday’s comments drew mixed reactions, particularly on X, where the video was shared. Some netizens welcomed the reminder concerning just war principles. Others saw Johnson’s response as a politician overstepping into theological territory traditionally led by church authorities.
So far, the Iran-U.S. war has claimed thousands of lives, including 13 service members of the U.S. Military. The war has also thrown global oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz into chaos.
The U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire at the beginning of this month, but the first round of talks didn’t yield any results.
