US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has stirred controversy after reciting a prayer at the Pentagon that closely mirrors lines from 1994 Hollywood film 'Pulp Fiction'. Delivered during a worship service at the US military headquarters, the moment drew attention for both its wording and the context in which it was used.
Hegseth told the audience the prayer had been shared with him by the lead mission planner involved in a rescue operation for two US Air Force personnel shot down over Iran. He described it as a message commonly used in combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) missions.
“This prayer was recited by Sandy 1, to all Sandys, all those A-10 crews, prior to all CSAR missions, but especially this CSAR mission that happened in real time,” Hegseth said.
“They call it CSAR 25:17, which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17,” he added.
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The prayer he recited included the lines:
“The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men… And you will know my call sign is Sandy One, when I lay my vengeance upon thee. Amen.”
Multiple media reports said that the wording closely resembles a well-known monologue delivered by Samuel L. Jackson's character in Pulp Fiction, directed by Quentin Tarantino. In the film, the speech is framed as a Biblical quote from the Book of Ezekiel, though it is largely fictional and adapted for dramatic effect.
Pete Hegseth quoted a fake Bible verse from Pulp Fiction during a Pentagon sermon.pic.twitter.com/1o3CJiJYRF
— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 16, 2026
The original Biblical verse, Ezekiel 25:17, is significantly shorter and carries a different meaning:
“And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.”
The Pentagon recitation replaced references to the Lord with language tied to military roles and mission identity, further fuelling debate over the blending of religious imagery with combat rhetoric.
The controversy comes at a sensitive time, as tensions escalate between US President Donald Trump and Pope Leo.
Trump has recently criticised the Pope as weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy over his opposition to the US role in the Iran conflict. Pope Leo, the first American pontiff, has responded in a measured tone, saying he has no fear of the Trump administration while urging peace and criticising leaders who invoke religion to justify war.
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