Notes from Away
“The Pope? How many divisions has he?” The question was reportedly posed by Joseph Stalin to Winston Churchill in the heat of World War II, dismissing the importance of the Vatican’s strength, influence and voice in wartime. I thought of this quote over the past couple weeks as once again, the Pope has inserted his voice and authority in the present war against Iran. In his Palm Sunday sermon Pope Leo XIV boldly stated that God does not listen to the prayers of those who make war, citing Isaiah 1.15, “Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.” He later doubled down on his stance against the war when he directed the citizens of the warring nations to pressure their leaders to bring an end to the violence and seek instead to use dialogue rather than military power to resolve their issues. Predictably, some of the nation’s leadership are dismissive of the Pope’s stance, of the authority of his opinion. There are also many, Catholic and not, who respect the Pope’s opinion and question the morality of the current conflict. But as history demonstrated in World War II, it would be a mistake to underestimate the power of papal influence among the millions who recognize his moral authority. It is more than a little ironic that Stalin’s words were spoken at a conference of the “big three” – The United States, Great Britain and Russia – held in 1943, in Tehran.
The church of Jesus Christ, regardless of denomination or expression, has always stood on the side of the peacemakers, so no one should be surprised at the Pope’s words, and their significance in the present moment deserves consideration by people of faith around the globe.
Links to Sunday’s bulletin and service are here: