U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called on Americans to pray for a “military victory in the Middle East in the name of Jesus Christ,” in remarks that contrast sharply with the Vatican’s calls for peace.

According to The New York Times on Saturday, Hegseth urged citizens to pray daily “on their knees” for such a military outcome.

In contrast, Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope, offered a different perspective during a Mass on Thursday, stating that the Christian message has often been “distorted by a desire for domination,” which he said is entirely contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Since the outbreak of hostilities involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, the pope has repeatedly called for an end to violence and a return to dialogue as the path toward resolving the conflict.

Without naming Hegseth directly, the pope also criticized the use of Christianity in ways that, in his view, do not align with the teachings of the Catholic Church.