Archbishop Timothy Broglio, head of the Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for referring to Jesus in public messages related to the U.S. war with Iran. He said this language clashes with Christ’s message of peace.
In an interview recorded on April 2 and released Friday by CBS ahead of its Easter Sunday broadcast of Face the Nation, Broglio stated it was “a little bit problematic” to portray the war as something Jesus would support.
He expressed agreement with Pope Leo XIV, who has been promoting negotiation and reducing tensions.
When asked about Hegseth’s recent comments on Jesus and his calls for prayer for U.S. service members during the Iran conflict, Broglio responded, “You know the Lord Jesus certainly brought a message of peace and also, I think war is always a last resort.” He added that it was hard to view the conflict “as something that would be sponsored by the Lord.”
Pentagon’s top priest slams Hegseth for Iran War
Archbishop for the Military Services, USA Timothy Broglio to Face the Nation
— Moh Musthafa Hussain (@musthafaaa) April 4, 2026
Broglio’s remarks represented one of the clearest public criticisms yet from a high-ranking U.S. Catholic leader directed at the Trump administration’s religious language surrounding the war.
Broglio oversees the archdiocese responsible for Catholic ministry to U.S. troops, veterans, and military families. His office manages more than 200 Catholic priests serving as chaplains in the armed forces.
These comments came after Hegseth attracted attention for mixing wartime language with explicit Christian references. In a March 26 prayer at the Pentagon, Hegseth requested “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy” and concluded the prayer “in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ,” according to reporting by The Washington Post and Military Times.
The Washington Post reported last week that Hegseth’s growing public Christian message has deviated from long-standing Pentagon practices. Senior military officials have typically kept personal faith separate from official messages about war to avoid framing U.S. military action as a religious campaign.
Conservative Archbishop Broglio declares that Trump’s war of choice with Iran is impermissible under Catholic teaching. It cannot be considered a just war. pic.twitter.com/wz0Xng47WP
— Trita Parsi (@tparsi) April 4, 2026
Former military leaders and legal experts saw this shift as a break from the armed forces’ tradition of maintaining religious neutrality.
Broglio’s comments also echoed recent statements from Pope Leo. On Palm Sunday, the pope said God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war or use God to justify violence. Earlier this week, Leo expressed hope that the U.S.-Israel war on Iran could end before Easter and urged world leaders to engage in dialogue.
This clash brings additional focus on how faith is being utilized in official statements as the Iran war continues. The administration has defended the conflict as necessary, while critics both within and outside religious circles argue that describing military action in explicitly Christian terms risks alienating troops of other faiths and blurring the line between personal belief and government authority.
Broglio did not explicitly call for any policy change, but his message was clear. No matter how serious the conflict may be, he said, Christian teaching does not permit leaders to treat war lightly or to frame it as divinely sanctioned.
For the Catholic archbishop responsible for ministering to troops in the field, peace remains the standard, and war, if it arises, must be the last resort.
