Vatican City, Jan 10: In a major foreign policy address to the Vatican diplomatic corps on January 9, Pope Leo XIV delivered a strong critique of how nations are increasingly using military force to assert dominion, warning that such actions are “completely undermining” peace and the post‑World War II international legal order.He said diplomacy rooted in dialogue and consensus is being replaced by coercion, noting, “War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading.”
Speaking primarily in English—a departure from the Vatican’s traditional Italian and French protocol—Leo did not name countries individually but referred to global conflicts, including the recent US operation in Venezuela targeting President Nicolás Maduro and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
The pope urged peaceful political solutions that prioritize “the common good of the peoples” rather than partisan interests.
He criticised the weakening of multilateral institutions like the United Nations, emphasizing that the principle prohibiting nations from using force to violate borders has been “completely undermined.”
He warned that seeking peace through weapons rather than diplomacy threatens the rule of law, which underpins all peaceful civil coexistence.