Pope Leo XIV Condemns 'Diplomacy Based on Force,' Urges Ceasefires and Protection of Sovereignty
Pope Leo XIV condemned diplomacy based on force, urged ceasefires in Ukraine, a political solution in Venezuela, and defended human rights amid rising global tensions.
Overview
Pope Leo XIV, addressing the Vatican diplomatic corps, delivered a sharp foreign policy speech condemning 'diplomacy based on force' and warning that 'war is back in vogue.'
His remarks came as Russia carried out fresh strikes in Ukraine and after a U.S. raid seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, raising tensions with several countries.
Leo urged immediate ceasefires in Ukraine, a peaceful political solution in Venezuela, protection of Venezuelans' rights, and renewed U.N. multilateral efforts to foster dialogue and humanitarian aid.
He warned that using force undermines the post-World War II legal order, criticized 'language as a weapon,' and said multilateralism and the rule of law are at risk.
Leo also highlighted global persecution of Christians, violence in several regions, and reaffirmed the Church's opposition to abortion, euthanasia and surrogacy on dignity grounds.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the pope’s address as a broad critique of great-power overreach by emphasizing his denunciations and pairing them with un-attributed details about the U.S. raid in Venezuela. Editorial choices—strong verbs ("denounced," "seized"), placement of Venezuela/Russia examples, and selective context—push a narrative critical of military interventions.
Sources (6)
FAQ
Pope Leo XIV used the phrase “diplomacy based on force” to criticize states that seek their interests through military power, coercive pressure, or threats rather than dialogue, international law, and multilateral institutions, warning that this mindset is making “war back in vogue” and undermining the post‑World War II legal order.[1]
In his address, Pope Leo XIV appealed for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, urged all parties to prioritize negotiations over military escalation, and called on the international community to support diplomatic solutions and humanitarian assistance instead of further fueling the conflict.[1]
Pope Leo XIV singled out Venezuela because of its acute political and social crisis, urging a peaceful political solution based on dialogue, respect for constitutional order, and full protection of Venezuelans’ human rights, rather than external force or violent confrontation.[1]
Pope Leo XIV argues that when nations resort to force and manipulate language to justify it, they erode the rule of law and weaken the universal human rights framework built after World War II, contributing to persecution, repression of free expression, and the spread of violent conflict.[1]
Pope Leo XIV included abortion, euthanasia, and surrogacy to stress that the Church views threats to human dignity not only in war and geopolitics but also in legal and social practices that, in its view, instrumentalize or discard human life from conception to natural death, making them integral to his broader human‑rights and peace agenda.[3]
History
3 sources