Pope Leo XIV delivered strong words about the ongoing international conflicts, especially in the Middle East.
POPE LEO XIV
My heart bleeds as I think of Ukraine, of the tragic and inhumane situation in Gaza, and of the Middle East, devastated by the prolongation of war.
Pope Leo expressed concern over the rhetoric used by international leaders to justify violence and the law of the strongest.
POPE LEO XIV
It is up to all of us—humanity—to examine the causes of these conflicts, identify the real ones and work to overcome them, and to reject the false ones, which are the result of emotional simulations and empty rhetoric, denouncing them firmly. People must not die because of fake news.
Pope Leo did not name specific countries, but strongly criticized how international law is currently being handled.
POPE LEO XIV
How can we continue to betray the peoples’ desire for peace with false propaganda promoting rearmament, under the vain illusion that supremacy will solve problems rather than fuel hatred and revenge?
It is disheartening to see that the strength of international law and humanitarian law no longer seems binding, and is being replaced by the supposed right to force others through power.
He delivered these remarks to participants in the plenary assembly of ROACO, an organization that provides financial support to Christian communities in the Middle East.
JRB
Trans. CRT
