Pope Leo’s message the other week on war was appallingly inaccurate and not at all Biblically sound. But this is normal for the Bishop of Rome and his Roman Catholic Church.
It’s hard to even begin because so much is wrong with that message. But we have to start somewhere. So here we go. First and foremost, Jesus doesn’t answer prayers, the Father does. And believers don’t pray to Jesus. Prayers go to God the Father.
It is not Biblically accurate to address prayers to anyone but God the Father. As His Son Jesus taught the disciples how to pray and they taught the rest of us through the Word.
One does not pray to Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Mary, Joseph, any Saint, or anyone but God the Father. It is blasphemy to do any other prayers. Saints don’t intercede on our behalf. Another Roman Catholic falsehood. Prayers are always asked for in the name of Jesus but He is never prayed to directly.
It seems that, in a way, Pope Leo was correct. Jesus doesn’t hear or answer the prayers of warmongers. Because he doesn’t hear or answer the prayers of anyone. They go to the Father.
To say that God doesn’t hear or answer the prayers of “warmongers”, aka soldiers, officers, and national leaders, and those engaged in war is completely false as well.
The Old Testament is full of examples of God’s people going to war and praying for victory. Many times God answered these prayers and gave the people the victory they desired. Other times He did not. And these were not just wars of defense, some were wars of aggression. Perhaps if Pope Leo were to actually READ the Bible he would know these facts about God Almighty.
So the conclusion is obvious, God is not against war as a whole. Peace we know is a preferable path but it is not always obtainable. Wars are sometimes necessary and God does hear our prayers about it.