Pope Leo XIV issued a harsh rebuke to global leaders as he condemned “diplomacy based on force” and an increasing “zeal for war.”
In his first “state of the world” address since becoming the leader of the Catholic Church, Leo expressed grave concern regarding “escalating tensions,” notably in the, “Caribbean Sea and the American Pacific coast.”
“War is back in vogue, and a zeal for war is spreading,” Leo said.
“The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined,” he continued.
Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, gave the entire address in English as he spoke to a group of dozens of global diplomats who had gathered in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Friday.
While Leo did not outright name any world leaders, it was clear he was inadvertently commenting on several global events that have transpired over the last week, including the Trump administration’s extradition of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and Trump’s increasing threats to take over Greenland. Russia also said it used a nuclear-capable ballistic missile against Ukraine this week.
The pope did touch on U.S military action in Venezuela as he called for the “respect the will of the Venezuelan people, and to safeguard the human and civil rights of all, ensuring a future of stability and concord.”
Trump stated that the U.S. will “run” the South American country, but the administration did not provide many details.
The pope’s address is a sharp contrast from the rhetoric of Trump, who told The New York Times on Wednesday that he only felt bound by his “own morality.” The Trump administration has been accused of breaking international law and threatening the post-WWII order in its abduction of Maduro.
The pope also noted that countries must commit to working together to follow international laws and “cannot depend on mere circumstances and military or strategic interests.”
Leo alluded to authoritarian governments, which he said have an increasing tendency to use vague language to obscure the meaning of their actions. He said he was concerned that violence is replacing diplomatic talks as a way to resolve conflicts.
“The meaning of words is ever more fluid, and the concepts they represent are increasingly ambiguous,” the pope said.
“Language is becoming more and more a weapon with which to deceive, or to strike and offend opponents,” he continued. “We need words once again to express distinct and clear realities unequivocally. Only in this way can authentic dialogue resume without misunderstandings.”
The pope also touched on the “suffering inflicted on the civilian population” in Ukraine, as Russia’s war in the country nears its fourth year. On the Israel-Hamas war, the pope reiterated his call for a two-state solution and called for the right of Palestinians to “a future of lasting peace and justice in their own land.”
Leo made “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.”
The pope also repeated his deep concern about the global treatment of migrants as he warned against countries that are using “criminality and human trafficking” as a precursor for “undermining the dignity of migrants and refugees.”
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