Pope: Countries Must Not Go ‘Over the Top’ in War

Pope addresses question about IDF campaign in Lebanon by saying countries must not be ‘disproportionate’ and should take care not to go ‘beyond morality.’

By JNS

Asked on Sunday about Israel’s ongoing strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon, Pope Francis said that all countries must be careful not to go “beyond morality” when conducting war.

The remarks by the Catholic leader, who has maintained a policy of neutrality during the nearly year-long war triggered by the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, followed Friday’s killing of Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah.

“When there is something disproportionate, there is a dominating tendency that goes beyond morality,” said Francis. “A country that does these things—and I’m talking about any country—in a superlative way, these are immoral actions.”

The pope said that while war is inherently immoral, there are rules that “indicate some morality,” adding that countries must not go “over the top” when deploying military forces.

Hezbollah has fired nearly 10,000 rockets, missiles and drones at Israel since joining the war in support of Hamas the day after the Oct. 7 massacre.

While the pope didn’t mention Israel by name and said he was speaking in general terms, he has been increasingly open about Israeli military action of late.

On Wednesday, he expressed dismay at the “death and destruction” caused by Israeli reprisal strikes targeting Hezbollah terror infrastructure.

He also said Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon were “unacceptable” and urged the international community to do everything possible to halt the fighting.

In December, Francis labeled children dying in wars, including in the Gaza Strip, as the “little Jesuses of today,” and said that IDF actions were reaping an “appalling harvest.”