Common Core State Standard L.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: Video of a current news event is presented for discussion to encourage student participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the video. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.
04/06/2026
Pope Leo emerges as pointed Trump critic
U.S.-born Pope Leo has emerged as a pointed critic of the Iran war. On Palm Sunday, he said God ignores the prayers of leaders who wage war and have “hands full of blood,” in an apparent rebuke of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who had prayed for “overwhelming violence” against America’s foes. Last week, the pope said he hoped President Donald Trump would find an “off-ramp” from the conflict. In his Easter message, he said, “Let those who have weapons lay them down."
■Class discussion: Is it wrong to pray for the death of an enemy? Should a religious leader ever endorse violence or war? Is a person’s religious belief a just reason to kill them? Is a person’s religious belief a just reason to kill someone else? Should religion ever be used to justify a war? Pope Leo called for people to lay down their weapons. How have many of his predecessors and leaders of most other religions justified their calls for wars and deadly violence throughout history?
