U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch said he intends to focus on issues that unite President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV in his role to foster a relationship between the two leaders rather than on recent disagreements about the Iran War.
"As the U.S ambassador for the Holy See, my efforts are many, but one of the roles as a diplomat is to remind stakeholders of what unites us and what must never divide us," Burch said after delivering remarks on the persecution of Nigerian Christians at the U.S. embassy to the Vatican in Rome.
Burch said "we must not pretend that there is no disagreement" because "there clearly is," but added: "We must also remember what they share."
"Both men are driven by an unshakable belief in protecting the innocent," he said. "One leads with the sword and shield of American power, the other with the cross of sacrificial love. But both are saying in their own languages: 'Evil must not triumph and innocence must not be abandoned.'"
Leo has urged peace between the U.S. and Iran in a war that has claimed more than 3,000 lives in over a month of war, including more than 150 children at a girls' school in Minab and at least 15 American soldiers. Both sides have agreed to a temporary ceasefire.
Trump has made negative comments about Leo, calling him "weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy." He said: "I don't think he's doing a very good job" and "I am not a fan of Pope Leo." The pontiff said he has "no fear of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel" and emphasized he is "not a politician" and is not interested in debating the president.
The president has falsely claimed Leo said "Iran can have a nuclear weapon." The Holy Father has warned against nuclear proliferation in the Middle East and has spoken out about nuclear weapons broadly.
'Blessed are the peacemakers'
Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Bishop Michael Duca wrote a message on April 16 titled "Blessed are the Peacemakers" in which he urged Catholics to pray for peace and warned against treating the pope as if he is a partisan political figure.
Duca called Trump's rhetoric "troubling because it risks reducing the Holy Father to a partisan figure and further deepening divisions in an already fractured world" and emphasized that the pope "is not a politician."
"He is the vicar of Christ, entrusted with proclaiming the Gospel 'in season and out of season,' challenging all people — regardless of nation or office — to measure their words and actions against the truth of Jesus Christ revealed in the Gospels," he said. "The Church always seeks to speak for the dignity of the human person, the sanctity of life, and the urgent call to peace."
Duca warned Catholics not to "be drawn into the relentless cycle of outrage amplified by social media and instantaneous news."
"I urge you, instead, to pause," he said. "Do not take the bait of manufactured conflict or allow yourselves to be consumed by voices that profit from division. As Christians, there is only one voice we must follow above all others — the voice of Christ, echoed through his Church."
The bishop said previous popes, like St. John Paul II, "spoke with moral clarity during times of extraordinary global tension" and the pontiffs "spoke words that were pastoral appeals, rooted in the Gospel, and with profound love for the human family." He said Leo speaks "in that same tradition."
"He calls our hearts back to the hard and holy work of dialogue, encounter, and reconciliation," he said. "As urged in the Scriptures themselves, and as urged by previous pontificates, our call remains the same — 'Do not be afraid.' Do not be afraid to choose peace over pride, conversation over condemnation, and unity over division."
Duca urged Catholics "to join me in praying earnestly for peace in our world, for wisdom among our leaders, and for hearts open to conversion." He said to "respond as a witness" in all places and "preach the Gospel not only with words but with lives marked by listening, mutual respect, and charity — especially toward those with whom you disagree."
"Finally, respond with hope," he said. "The Church has endured far greater storms than those of the present moment. Guided by the Holy Spirit, she continues to proclaim a culture of life in the face of a culture of death and a hope that does not disappoint. When we remain anchored in Christ, the noise of the world loses its power over us."
Bishops: 'Pray for peace'
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) made a post on X that breaks down what the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches about just war doctrine after Vice President JD Vance challenged Pope Leo XIV's statements about war.
"The strict conditions for legitimate defense by military force require rigorous consideration," the post reads. "The gravity of such a decision makes it subject to rigorous conditions of the moral legitimacy."
It notes there must be a just cause because of damage caused by an aggressor that is "lasting, grave, and certain," all other means of alleviating the threat "have been shown to be impractical and ineffective," there must be "serious prospects of success," and the war "must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated."
On the last point, the bishops note "the power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition."
Every condition of just war criteria must be met for a war to be justified.
"These are the traditional elements enumerated in what is called 'just war' doctrine," the bishops add. "The evaluation of these conditions for moral legitimacy belongs to the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good."
The bishops explain that "all citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war." If a war is necessary, "governments cannot be denied the right of lawful self-defense once all peace efforts have failed," they add, quoting the catechism directly.
Additionally, the bishops quote the catechism about moral laws during war: "The mere fact that war has regrettably broken out does not mean that everything becomes licit between the warring parties."
The bishops asked everyone to "pray for peace."
Ishmael Adibuah contributed to this story.
