Pope Leo XIV used a major foreign policy address at the Vatican to sharply criticise the growing reliance on military force in international affairs, warning that peace is being undermined as countries increasingly seek power through weapons and domination.
“War is back in vogue, and a zeal for war is spreading,” he told ambassadors gathered for the annual diplomatic corps audience.
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The pontiff lamented that the post-Second World War principle barring nations from using force to violate others’ borders “has been completely undermined,” and stressed that this trend “gravely threatens the rule of law, which is the foundation of all peaceful civil coexistence.”
He said traditional, consensus-based diplomacy was being replaced by what he described as “a diplomacy based on force,” a shift he said jeopardises international stability and human rights.
Global Diplomacy Under Strain: Pope Leo’s Message on Peace and Force
In his speech to around 184 envoys from countries around the world, Leo did not single out specific nations by name but made clear his concerns about current global conflicts.
Referring to the recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, the pope called for solutions that reflect the “common good of the peoples and not the defence of partisan interests.”
“Peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominion,” he said, highlighting how the use of force has overshadowed diplomatic channels and eroded longstanding international norms.
Pope’s Broader Appeal for International Dialogue and Rule of Law
Leo urged the global community to return to diplomacy rooted in dialogue and mutual respect, stressing that adherence to international humanitarian law must “always prevail over the ambitions of belligerents.”
He also reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and reaffirmed support for a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, emphasising the rights of Palestinians to live in Gaza and the West Bank.
In outlining these concerns, the pope framed his remarks not just as a critique of contemporary geopolitics, but as a defence of the international rule of law and the pursuit of peaceful coexistence among nations.
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