In a powerful appeal for peace, Pope Leo XIV has expressed the Vatican’s deep concern over the escalating conflicts across various parts of the world, specifically naming Ukraine, Iran, Israel, and the Gaza Strip.
Addressing Italian-speaking pilgrims at the end of his general audience on Wednesday, the Holy Father delivered a forceful condemnation of the normalization of war and the use of advanced technology to escalate violence.
“The heart of the Church is torn by the cries rising from war-torn lands,” the Pope declared, emphasizing that “we must not grow accustomed to war; rather, we must reject it — along with the seductive temptation of powerful and sophisticated weapons.”
He also cited the warnings of his predecessors, underlining the grave consequences of modern warfare:
“In today’s wars, where scientific weaponry of every kind is employed, the cruelty involved threatens to push combatants into a level of barbarism far worse than that of past ages.”
Calling on world leaders and those in power, Pope Leo XIV added:
“In the name of human dignity and international law, I repeat what Pope Francis said: ‘War is always a defeat’, and with Pius XII: *‘Nothing is lost with peace, but everything can be lost with war.’”
