Pope Leo: Trump’s Iran threat “unacceptable”

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen and Gerry recap a packed two weeks of Vatican news, covering Pope Leo’s first Holy Week celebrations and his comments on President Trump’s threat to wipe out ‘an entire civilization.’

After this episode was recorded, reports were published recounting a contentious meeting at the Pentagon between the nuncio to the United States, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, and Trump administration officials. Read more here: americamagazine.org/news/2026/04/09/vatican-pe…

Chapters:

0:00 Intro

1:01 Pope Leo’s message to the wealthy in Monaco

3:14 Pope says God ‘rejects’ the prayers of warmakers

7:53 Pope Leo washes 12 priests’ feet on Holy Thursday

12:01 Pope carries the cross through Colosseum

15:07 Cardinal Pizzaballa denied access to Holy Sepulchre

20:13 Pope Leo’s Good Friday call with Zelenskyy

22:30 Pope Leo’s Easter appeal for peace

25:11 Leo calls Trump’s Iran threat ‘unacceptable’

30:17 Pope Leo’s trip to Algeria

33:41 Leo to visit Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea

37:01 Outro and Credits

Links:

Is there a Catholic revival? Pope Leo seems to think so. (americamagazine.org/news/2026/03/30/catholic-r…)

Palm Sunday: Cardinal Pizzaballa blocked by Israeli police from Holy Sepulchre as Pope Leo denounces war in Rome (americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2026/03/2…)

Pope Leo’s Holy Thursday homily: ‘In this dark hour of history,’ do not shy away from your mission (americamagazine.org/news/2026/04/02/pope-leo-h…)

The meditations at Pope Leo’s first Way of the Cross at Rome’s Colosseum: Connecting Christ’s Passion to modern suffering (americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2026/04/0…)

On Good Friday, Pope Leo speaks with presidents of Israel and Ukraine, calling for an end to war (americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2026/04/0…)

Pope Leo’s first Easter ‘Urbi et Orbi’ message: ‘Let those who have weapons lay them down’ (americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2026/04/0…)

Pope Leo: Trump’s threat to destroy Iran ‘truly unacceptable’ (americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2026/04/0…)

Pope Leo XIV to embark on 10-day Africa tour and trips to Spain and Monaco (americamagazine.org/news/2026/02/25/pope-leo-x…)

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