# Christian leaders talk war, the Pope, getting arrested, courage and empathy

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/god-forbid-567088/christian-leaders-talk-war-the-pope-getting-arrested-courage-and-empathy
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/god-forbid-567088/christian-leaders-talk-war-the-pope-getting-arrested-courage-and-empathy.md
Podcast: [God Forbid](https://stenobird.com/podcast/god-forbid-567088)
Published: 2026-04-24T02:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/godforbid/god-forbid/106533578
Audio file: https://mediacore-live-production.akamaized.net/audio/02/js/Z/p1.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/god-forbid-567088/episodes/christian-leaders-talk-war-the-pope-getting-arrested-courage-and-empathy
Duration seconds: 3277

## Resource

Pope Leo XIV has recently slammed the use of God's name to justify what he terms as the "absurd" pursuit of war, specifically challenging military leaders who describe operations in Iran as a holy war "in the name of Jesus Christ". Is a "holy war" antithetical to the teachings of Jesus Christ? Sister Brigid Arthur, Rev Tim Costello and Rev Michael Woolf certainly think so. All of them have been at the forefront of contemporary societal battles about some of the most pressing issues of our day: asylum seekers and refugees, gambling reform and homelessness. So, what can Christian leaders offer us in this context? Can they be holy warriors for our most pressing concerns? GUESTS: Rev Tim Costello is Chief Advocate for the Alliance for Gambling Reform , Member of the Order of Australia, Executive Director of Micah Australia. Rev Dr Michael Woolf is Senior Minister of Lake Street Church of Evanston in the US state of Illinois and Co-Associate Regional Minister with the American Baptist Church, and author of Sanctuary and Subjectivity: Thinking Theologically about Whiteness and Sanctuary Movements Sister Brigid Arthur is a Brigidine sister who coordinates the Brigidine Asylum Seekers Projec t, which advocates for asylum seekers, and helps them out with practical needs like housing, rent and utilities, friendship.

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## Transcript

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