There are calendar coincidences that take on the value of a sign. On this Easter Sunday in 2026, Christians in the East celebrate the resurrection amidst the noise of bombs and the smoke of fires. The conflict triggered from the Oval Office acts as a brutal revealer: that of two irreconcilable worldviews in the Western space, even in their relation to faith.
On one side, Donald Trump, faithful to a martial rhetoric, calls for prayers for the soldiers engaged in a war he promised to be swift. On the other, Pope Leon XIV, an American as well, solemnly reminds that “God does not listen to the prayers of those who make war.” In a few words, the pontiff draws a clear line of division: faith cannot be instrumentalized to justify violence.
The contrast is striking. On one side, a religion summoned to accompany war; on the other, a faith invoked to condemn it. The pope, discreet since his election, has chosen his words carefully but without ambiguity. Twice this week, he warned against the deviations of an instrumentalized faith, clearly targeting the White House. A rare, almost solemn admonition. Behind the criticism of the head of the Catholic Church, it is the temptation of pride that is singled out. This capital sin, which the American president, so quick to claim Christian values, seems to ignore.
The facts, however, are stubborn. Presented as a simple “excursion,” the military intervention has turned into entanglement. Triggered hastily, without a clear strategy, it now reveals its flaws. The dismissal of the chief of staff of the army says a lot about internal tensions and the frantic search for scapegoats. As often happens when war escalates, power seeks scapegoats.
But beyond political rivalries and ideological stances, the reality is much more tragic. This conflict threatens the already fragile balance of the Middle East, destabilizes energy markets, and poses a serious risk to the global economy. Above all, it shatters lives. Thousands dead, displaced populations, entire communities caught in the crossfire, starting with the Christians of Lebanon, once again collateral victims of a confrontation that surpasses them.
Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the Vatican on Friday, April 3, is not a coincidence on the agenda: France, which had refused to endorse this “adventure” from the first day, chooses the symbol of peace in the face of war. Barack Obama, who can certainly be criticized on many aspects, had pronounced at West Point these words that his successor would do well to ponder: “Having the best hammer doesn’t mean you have to see every problem as a nail.” The proud leave behind not glory but only ruins and mourning. On this Easter Sunday, while Pope Leon XIV carries the world’s cross at the Colosseum, Donald Trump should reflect on the message his fellow countryman from Rome is sending him: true strength is not in lighting fires. It’s in having the courage to extinguish them.
