This Easter Sunday, while Pope Leo XIV delivered a powerful message of peace, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a harsh warning to Iran.
In his first Easter Mass as Pope, Leo urged those who wield weapons to choose dialogue over conflict. “Let those who hold weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to start wars choose peace! Not a peace pursued by force, but by dialogue! Not by the desire to dominate the other, but to encounter him,” he said.
The Pope’s homily highlighted the ever-present shadow of death in the world seen in injustice, partisan selfishness, the oppression of the poor, and the neglect of the vulnerable. He warned against a “globalisation of indifference,” where thousands of deaths, hatred, and the social and economic fallout of wars go unnoticed. Pope Leo also announced a global prayer for peace scheduled for next Saturday, April 11.
Meanwhile, on social media platform Truth Social, President Trump doubled down on his aggressive stance toward Iran, demanding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. His post included a threat laced with profanity: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran… Open the F*****' Strait, you crazy b*****ds, or you’ll be living in Hell JUST WATCH!”
This statement followed a 48-hour deadline Trump issued on Saturday regarding the strait. Before his explosive warning, Trump shared an update on a U.S. military rescue operation in Iran, confirming the safe recovery of a downed F-15 pilot.
“We have rescued the seriously wounded, and really brave, F-15 Crew Member/Officer from deep inside the mountains of Iran,” Trump wrote. He praised the mission as a rare and highly dangerous operation, noting that it involved extensive coordination in hostile territory and remarkable skill by U.S. forces.
The incident began when an F-15 jet was shot down by Iranian forces on Friday. One service member was rescued within hours, while the search for the second continued over Friday and Saturday, culminating in the successful recovery of the missing crew member.
The juxtaposition of Pope Leo’s call for dialogue and Trump’s aggressive rhetoric has sparked widespread attention, highlighting the contrast between appeals for peace and threats of escalation.
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