Pope Leo addressed the ongoing Iran war during his first Easter celebration as pontiff, according to Vatican reports. The new Pope also reportedly urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog to end the Iran conflict during a phone call, as announced by Vatican officials.

Separately, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who leads the Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services USA, expressed doubts about the justification for the Iran war under Catholic doctrine. Speaking on CBS's "Face the Nation," Broglio applied Just War Theory to evaluate the conflict's moral foundation.

"Under the just war theory, it is not [justified], because while there is a threat with nuclear arms, it's compensating for a threat before the threat is actually realized," Broglio told the program. The archbishop suggested that preemptive action against a potential nuclear threat does not meet the traditional Catholic criteria for a justified war.

Broglio also addressed rhetoric from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth regarding the war, specifically comments that invoked Jesus' name in relation to the conflict. The archbishop's comments come as religious leaders worldwide weigh in on the military action.

The Vatican and U.S. Catholic military leadership's statements reflect ongoing religious community concerns about the Iran war, with both Pope Leo and Archbishop Broglio taking public positions during the Easter season.