Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth brushed off Pope Leo’s criticism of the Iran conflict Friday and dismissed any suggestion that the United States does not have the right justification for waging war in the Middle East.
At a Pentagon press briefing, marking the eighth week of a war initiated by the U.S. and Israel, Hegseth waved off Leo’s previous remarks, in which the Vatican leader had condemned using religious justification for the war and called for peace and dialogue.
“Pope’s gonna do his thing, that’s fine,” Hegseth said, in response to a question about the first American pope’s comments. “We know what our mission is, we know what authority we have, we’re very clear about that.”
The defense secretary insisted military lawyers were “all over the place,” ensuring they have the authority to carry out Trump’s orders.
Hegseth has previously invoked Christianity as a moral justification for the war.
During an interview with 60 Minutes in March, Hegseth said the U.S. was “fighting religious fanatics who seek nuclear capability in order for some religious Armageddon.”
He said he encouraged troops to “lean into their faith” and “rely on God.”
Hegseth has recited prayers and Bible quotes during press conferences. In March, he ended a Pentagon presser with a quote from Psalm 144:1: “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.” In April, he recited a Pulp Fiction quote, claiming it was inspired by Ezekiel 25:17.
“We feel very confident, across the spectrum, about what we’re doing and why we’re doing it in the legal justification that we’re following in order to do it,” Hegseth told reporters Friday.
Trump and members of his administration have found themselves embroiled in a feud with Pope Leo.
Over the last few weeks, the Catholic church leader has issued a series of statements condemning war and rebuking those who use God’s name “to justify death-dealing choices and actions.”
He’s blamed the “delusion of omnipotence” for fueling the conflict. The pope called Trump’s threat to wipe out the Iranian civilization “truly unacceptable.”
In response, Trump has said he’s “not a fan” of the pope, raising tensions among Catholic conservatives.
The president added fuel to the fire by then posting an AI-generated image of himself appearing as a Christ-like figure in a red and white robe, using golden light to heal a sick man. After facing scrutiny for the post, Trump deleted the image and later said he thought it depicted him as a “doctor.”
Even Vice President JD Vance, a practicing Catholic who is releasing a book on his faith, has pushed back on Pope Leo for preaching world peace and condemning war. He warned the pope to “be careful” when talking about “matters of theology.”
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