Cardinal Pizzaballa: Abusing God’s name for war is the gravest sin

Vatican, March 18, 2026: Speaking amid the ongoing conflict, death, displacement, and division, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem affirmed that the truth about the continuing war in the Middle East must still be spoken, adding that “God is with those who die in war, not with those who abuse his name.”

“The abuse and manipulation of God’s name to justify this and any other war is the gravest sin we can commit at this time” said Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa during a webinar on the conflict devastating the Middle East.

“War”, he continued, “is first and foremost political and has very material interests, like most wars. We must do everything we can to leave no room for this pseudo-religious language, which speaks not of God, but of ourselves”.

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem was referring to remarks made by the U.S. Secretary of War, who, during a briefing, cited Psalm 144 to invoke a divine blessing on the ongoing U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.

During the interaction with the International Oasis Foundation, Cardinal Pizzaballa stated that “as believers (…) we need to say that no, there are no new crusades. If God is present in this war, He is among those who are dying, who are suffering, who are in pain, who are oppressed in various ways, throughout the Middle East.”

“I am not saying that on one side or the other this conflict has religious connotations,” he added, “but there are manipulations: those who wish to bring religion into it exploit the name of God.”

The Christian message

Commenting on the appeal made by Pope Leo XIV for a ceasefire and dialogue, the Patriarch observed that it may go unheard, yet the Church, he said, must continue to speak truthfully about reality and unite to invest in the future.

“What is built on violence perishes; it has no future, but it also creates a void around itself: fear, resentment, hatred—all that which, in Christian language, belongs to the world of death,” he said.

The role of the media

During the interaction, the cardinal also addressed the responsibility of the media in the war, noting that communication forms part of the conflict: “it is a way of making it known, but also of justifying it or making it acceptable.”

Thus, he said, journalists bear the responsibility to help readers understand the news, offering an accurate interpretation, or at least enabling them to form a critical perspective and make their own judgement.

The situation in Gaza and the West Bank

In this context, he lamented that the crisis in Gaza and the violence in the West Bank are no longer being widely discussed, while also noting that the humanitarian conditions there remain severe.

“There is no longer a problem of hunger, but there are still 2 million displaced people, deprived of everything; 80% of the Strip is still destroyed, and no reconstruction has begun; 36 hospitals are partially operational, but medicines are lacking, even basic antibiotics. People are literally living in the sewers; the images cannot convey the smells. It is impossible to understand how and when this dramatic situation will be resolved: the Board of Peace has not yet understood what it should do. And in any case, it is a sort of vicious circle: if Hamas does not hand over its weapons, Israel will not withdraw; Hamas will not hand over its weapons unless Israel withdraws. Everything remains at a standstill,” Cardinal Pizzaballa denounced.

“As for the West Bank,” he added, “the situation is deteriorating constantly: almost every day there are attacks by settlers on Palestinian villages. There are now almost a thousand checkpoints; Palestinians still struggle to move about, and permits have largely been cancelled.”

Finally, the Patriarch expressed concern over the consequences of recent measures related to the land registry and the non-recognition of Palestinian academic qualifications in Israel, recently adopted by the Israeli government, which are likely to result in further financial difficulties, hardship, and a shortage of Christian teachers in schools.

Courtesy: Vatican News