Pope Leo XIV has delivered a powerful and urgent message to the world, sounding the alarm on a dangerous trend he sees unfolding: nations increasingly turning to military force to assert their power. In a significant address to global ambassadors at the Vatican, Pope Leo declared that “war is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading,” fundamentally undermining the peace and international legal order established after World War II.
While he didn’t point fingers directly, the context of his speech was clear, given recent events like the US military operation in Venezuela and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. The Pope lamented that the very foundations of global cooperation, like the United Nations, are under threat. He criticized the shift from diplomacy based on dialogue to a “diplomacy based on force,” whether by individual nations or groups of allies.
Pope Leo emphasized that the crucial post-WWII principle – that nations should not use force to violate others’ borders – has been “completely undermined.” Instead, he warned, peace is being pursued through weapons, leading to a grave threat to the rule of law, which is essential for peaceful coexistence.
He didn’t shy away from specific conflicts. For Venezuela, he urged a peaceful political solution focused on the “common good” of its people, not partisan interests. He reiterated his plea for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and called for unwavering international commitment to lasting solutions. And concerning Gaza, he reinforced the call for a two-state solution, asserting the Palestinians’ right to live on their own land.
This first major foreign policy address from history’s first US-born Pope serves as a stark warning: the pursuit of power through force is unraveling decades of progress towards a more peaceful, lawful world.
