At his general audience, Pope Leo XIV appealed for renewed nuclear arms-control efforts and asked Catholics to proclaim the Gospel in ways that speak to people\u2019s real lives.<\/p>\n
Pope Leo XIV warned Wednesday of the grave danger of a \u201cnew global arms race\u201d as the New START nuclear weapons treaty between the United States and Russia reached its expiration, urging world leaders not to allow the agreement to lapse without a credible and effective alternative.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the conclusion of his general audience at the Vatican, the pope recalled that the treaty \u2014 signed in 2010 by then-U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev \u2014 represented a significant step in limiting the proliferation of nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow the New START treaty reaches its expiration,\u201d the pope said, noting that the agreement had helped contain strategic nuclear arsenals and strengthen international security. He called for \u201cevery constructive effort in favor of disarmament and mutual trust,\u201d insisting that the current international climate demands urgent action to prevent escalation.<\/p>\n
The pope stressed that the world must abandon \u201cthe logic of fear and distrust\u201d and instead embrace \u201ca shared ethic capable of guiding decisions toward the common good and making peace a heritage safeguarded by all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Without a replacement framework, he warned, the end of New START opens a period of growing uncertainty, raising alarms across the international community about the weakening of nuclear arms control mechanisms.<\/p>\n
Prayers for Ukraine amid winter hardship<\/p>\n
During the same audience, the pope also renewed his appeal for prayers for the people of Ukraine, who he said are being \u201charshly tested\u201d by continued Russian bombardments, including attacks on energy infrastructure during the winter months.<\/p>\n
Citing reports of severe cold and widespread shortages of electricity, heating, and water, he urged the faithful not to forget the suffering of civilians, particularly children, the elderly, and the most vulnerable. The pope expressed gratitude for solidarity initiatives organized by Catholic dioceses in Poland and other countries assisting the Ukrainian population.<\/p>\n
Evangelization must speak to real lives<\/p>\n
Earlier in his catechesis, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the Church\u2019s mission of evangelization, cautioning against the use of language that is \u201cincomprehensible, poorly communicative, or anachronistic,\u201d which he said renders the proclamation of the Gospel ineffective.<\/p>\n
When the word of God becomes detached from the concrete lives, hopes, and sufferings of people, he explained, it loses its power to reach hearts. The pope encouraged the Church to adopt \u201ccreative methods\u201d that allow the Gospel to take flesh in history.<\/p>\n
Continuing his catechetical series on Dei Verbum, the Second Vatican Council\u2019s constitution on divine revelation, the pope described sacred Scripture as a \u201cprivileged space of encounter\u201d where God continues to speak to men and women of every age.<\/p>\n
He warned against both fundamentalist readings that ignore the human authors of Scripture and purely technical interpretations that deny its divine origin, emphasizing that a correct understanding must hold both dimensions together.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Gospel cannot be reduced to a merely philanthropic or social message,\u201d the pope said. \u201cIt is the joyful proclamation of the fullness of life and eternal life that God has given us in Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n
This story\u00a0was first published\u00a0in two parts\u00a0by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.<\/p>\n