POPE Leo XIV on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, renewed his call for global peace, voicing anguish over the ongoing violence in war-torn regions and urging world leaders to reject the lure of military power.
“The heart of the Church is torn by the cries rising from the places of war, especially Ukraine, Iran, Israel and Gaza,” the American pontiff said at the end of his weekly general audience in Vatican City.
“We must not become accustomed to war,” he stressed.
“We must reject the allure of powerful and sophisticated armaments — they are a temptation, not a solution.”
Calling on international leaders to act with conscience and restraint, Pope Leo invoked the voices of his predecessors.
“In the name of human dignity and international law, I repeat what Pope Francis once told the world’s leaders: ‘War is always a defeat,’” he said. “And as Pope Pius XII declared, ‘Nothing is lost with peace, everything can be lost with war.’”
His remarks come amid escalating tensions and humanitarian crises in multiple conflict zones, reinforcing the Vatican’s enduring role as a moral voice in global affairs. / PNA