As the war in Iran continues, Pope Leo has called on journalists to “show the face of war and tell it through the eyes of the victims so as not to turn it into a video game.”
The first Pope from the US said this during a meeting with newspeople from Italy’s TG2 TV show today, March 16, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, Cardinal Blase Cupich took direct aim at the videos that the White House has posted recently featuring footage of video games and movies, calling them “sickening.”
Pope Leo, for his part, said, “In the dramatic circumstances of war, such as those we are experiencing, information must guard against the risk of turning into propaganda.”
Leo did not single out a specific world conflict in his statement, but he previously talked about wanting to see an immediate ceasefire in the US-Israeli war on Iran. He said the military campaign has caused “atrocious violence.”
The White House under President Donald Trump has posted numerous videos documenting the destruction of the ongoing war in Iran, with one video using real-world footage spliced together with Call of Duty killstreaks. That specific video has since been removed.
Another video, which remains online, features Halo’s Master Chief delivering the iconic “finish the fight” line. Voice actor Steve Downes demanded that his voice work be removed from the “disgusting and juvenile war porn” video.
The war in Iran has been devastating since major strikes began on February 28. At least 1,230 people in Iran alone have been killed, including children.
The meme videos from the White House featuring video games about the war in Iran were not the first from the Trump administration making light of serious situations. In 2025, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted a video of ICE and Border Patrol workers arresting people set to the Pokemon theme song. DHS also shared an ICE recruitment ad featuring Master Chief driving a Warthog, with the caption, “Destroy the flood. Finishing the fight.” Shortly after, the White House posted an AI-generated image depicting Trump as Master Chief.
The White House, meanwhile, has also posted Pokemon and GTA memes to advance their political agendas. The Pokemon Company pushed back against the Pokemon memes, saying it did not grant permission to use its IP in this manner.
Image credit: TIZIANA FABI/ Contributor / Getty Images