Pope Leo XIV decried “diplomacy based on force” and a growing “zeal for war” in a Friday speech as Russia carries out fresh strikes in Ukraine and tensions rise between the U.S. and several nations around the world.
“A diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies. War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading,” the Pope said in his annual address to diplomatic corps to the Vatican. “This gravely threatens the rule of law, which is the foundation of all peaceful civil coexistence.”
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The pontiff did not name any specific world leaders, but also called for the protection of Venezuelans’ rights, citing “recent developments.”
“I renew my appeal to respect the will of the Venezuelan people, and to safeguard the human and civil rights of all, ensuring a future of stability and concord,” he said.
The pontiff’s comments follow the U.S. attacks on Venezuela and seizure of the country’s President Nicolas Maduro, along with President Donald Trump’s ensuing threats against countries including Colombia, Iran, and Mexico and the territory of Greenland.
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In the months since he was inaugurated, becoming the first pope from the U.S., Leo has repeatedly raised concerns about human rights around the globe and demonstrated a willingness to challenge Trump. The day after the operation to capture Maduro and Trump’s comment that the U.S. would “run” Venezuela, the Pope similarly urged the country’s sovereignty and the rights of its people be protected. He has also spoken in defense of migrants and rebuked the Trump Administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown. .
In his speech on Friday, viewed as an opportunity for the Pope to comment on the conditions of the world, Leo stressed the importance of “international humanitarian law” and warned against the “devastating effects of war,” including the destruction of hospitals, homes, and infrastructure.
The Pope also called on the United Nations to quell ongoing conflicts around the world by taking a key role in “fostering dialogue and humanitarian support, helping to build a more just future,” and “pursuing policies aimed at the unity of the human family instead of ideologies.”
Trump’s actions in Venezuela have met with sharp criticism from U.N. officials and several of the U.S.’s fellow member countries in the military alliance. His renewed threats to annex Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, have also sparked concerns about what such a move would mean for the international world order, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warning that a U.S. attack on the territory would end the U.N.
As well as the situation in Venezuela, the Pope made reference to the “suffering inflicted on the civilian population” in Ukraine and called for an “immediate” ceasefire and dialogue.
“I make an urgent appeal to the international community not to waver in its commitment to pursuing just and lasting solutions that will protect the most vulnerable and restore hope to the afflicted peoples,” Leo said. He called on the international community to “not to waver in its commitment to pursuing just and lasting solutions that will protect the most vulnerable and restore hope to the afflicted peoples.”
These comments came on the same day as the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the country struck western Ukraine using nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.
Leo touched on conflicts in several other parts of the world as well. He lamented “an increase in violence in the West Bank against the Palestinian civilian population, which has the right to live in peace in its own land,” and reiterated support for a two-state solution.
He also made reference to “violence, from human trafficking to forced exile and kidnappings” in Haiti; instability in Sudan; the “grave humanitarian and security crisis afflicting” Myanmar; and the victims of “religiously motivated violence” in Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Mozambique.
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