Pope Leo XIV condemned the weakening of international multilateralism and the increased use of force in a speech to diplomats at the Vatican on Friday.<\/p>\n
He also said states should respect fundamental human rights, such as religious freedom and freedom of speech, and comply with international humanitarian law in the lengthiest speech to date of his pontificate.<\/p>\n
\u201cA diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies. War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading,\u201d he told ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives to the Holy See in the Apostolic Palace on Jan. 9. Currently, 184 states have diplomatic relations with the Holy See.<\/p>\n
Pope Leo delivered his first \u201cState of the World\u201d address as he met on Friday with members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See for the traditional exchange of New Year greetings, asking \u201call the nations to guarantee full freedom of religion and worship to each of\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/uTY6XkVEEf<\/p>\n
\u201cPeace is no longer sought as a gift and a desirable good in itself,\u201d the pontiff continued. \u201cInstead, peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one\u2019s own dominion. This gravely threatens the rule of law, which is the foundation of all peaceful civil coexistence.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Holy Father called for concern for the common good of peoples to take precedence over \u201cthe defense of partisan interests\u201d amid escalating tensions, pointing in particular to Venezuela, for which he reiterated an appeal \u201cto respect the will of the Venezuelan people, and to safeguard the human and civil rights of all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo framed his speech, part of the annual new year greeting to the diplomatic corps, within St. Augustine of Hippo\u2019s work of Christian philosophy \u201cDe Civitate Dei\u201d (\u201cCity of God\u201d).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe \u2018City of God\u2019 does not propose a political program. Instead, it offers valuable reflections on fundamental issues concerning social and political life, such as the search for a more just and peaceful coexistence among peoples. Augustine also warns of the grave dangers to political life arising from false representations of history, excessive nationalism and the distortion of the ideal of the political leader,\u201d the pope said.<\/p>\n
He called \u201cCity of God,\u201d written in the fifth century, highly relevant to the present time, marked by widespread migration and the \u201cprofound readjustment of geopolitical balances and cultural paradigms.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pope Leo XIV greets ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives to the Holy See in the Apostolic Palace on Jan. 9, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media<\/p>\n
Human rights short-circuited<\/p>\n
Leo lamented what he called a \u201cshort circuit\u201d of human rights around the world today, especially the right to life.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe firmly reiterate that the protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of every other human right. A society is healthy and truly progresses only when it safeguards the sanctity of human life and works actively to promote it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He also called out the restriction of the right to freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, religious freedom, and the right to life in favor of other \u201cso-called new rights,\u201d so that \u201cthe very framework of human rights is losing its vitality and creating space for force and oppression.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis occurs when each right becomes self-referential, and especially when it becomes disconnected from reality, nature, and truth,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Christian persecution<\/p>\n
Pope Leo said Christian persecution is one of the most widespread human rights crises today, with over 380 million believers around the world suffering high or extreme levels of discrimination, violence, and oppression.<\/p>\n
He recalled the victims of religiously motivated violence in Bangladesh, in the Sahel region, in Nigeria, and those killed or injured in the terrorist attack on the parish of St. Elias in Damascus in June.<\/p>\n
The pontiff also decried \u201ca subtle form of religious discrimination against Christians\u201d taking place even in Christian-majority countries in Europe and the Americas.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere, they are sometimes restricted in their ability to proclaim the truths of the Gospel for political or ideological reasons, especially when they defend the dignity of the weakest, the unborn, refugees and migrants, or promote the family,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Leo also called for respect for the freedom of other religious communities and the rejection of all forms of antisemitism.<\/p>\n
Pope Leo XIV greets ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives to the Holy See in the Hall of the Blessing in the Apostolic Palace on Jan. 9, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media<\/p>\n
The Holy Father also spoke about debates over the meaning of words and how they are tied to attacks on freedom of expression.<\/p>\n
\u201cRediscovering the meaning of words is perhaps one of the primary challenges of our time. When words lose their connection to reality, and reality itself becomes debatable and ultimately incommunicable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should also note the paradox that this weakening of language is often invoked in the name of freedom of expression itself. However, on closer inspection, the opposite is true, for freedom of speech and expression is guaranteed precisely by the certainty of language and the fact that every term is anchored in the truth,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n
He called it painful to see the space for genuine freedom of expression rapidly shrink, especially in the West.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the same time, a new Orwellian-style language is developing which, in an attempt to be increasingly inclusive, ends up excluding those who do not conform to the ideologies that are fueling it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
A consequence of this, Leo said, is that the freedom of conscience, another fundamental human right, is increasingly questioned by states.<\/p>\n
The freedom of conscience, which \u201cestablishes a balance between the collective interest and individual dignity,\u201d protects individuals \u201cto refuse legal or professional obligations that conflict with moral, ethical, or religious principles deeply rooted in their personal lives,\u201d such as military service, abortion, or euthanasia.<\/p>\n
\u201cConscientious objection is not rebellion but an act of fidelity to oneself,\u201d he underlined.<\/p>\n
Pope Leo urged states to protect the institution of the family as \u201cthe vocation to love and to life\u201d manifested in the \u201cexclusive and indissoluble union between a woman and a man\u201d and implying a \u201cfundamental ethical imperative for enabling families to welcome and fully care for unborn life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noting the increasing priority of raising birth rates, he emphasized life as a gift to be cherished and said \u201cwe categorically reject any practice that denies or exploits the origin of life and its development,\u201d including abortion and surrogacy.<\/p>\n
He added that the Holy See is also concerned about projects aimed at financing cross-border mobility to increase access to abortion and \u201cconsiders it deplorable that public resources are allocated to suppress life rather than being invested to support mothers and families.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pope Leo XIV poses with ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives to the Holy See in the Sistine Chapel on Jan. 9, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media<\/p>\n
For the sick and elderly, \u201ccivil society and states also have a responsibility to respond concretely to situations of vulnerability, offering solutions to human suffering, such as palliative care, and promoting policies of authentic solidarity rather than encouraging deceptive forms of compassion such as euthanasia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The pontiff underlined the inalienable dignity of every person and that migrants, as people, have \u201cinalienable rights that must be respected in every situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI renew the Holy See\u2019s hope that the actions taken by states against criminality and human trafficking will not become a pretext for undermining the dignity of migrants and refugees,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Leo recalled that in Augustine\u2019s \u201cCity of God,\u201d the saint interprets events and history according to a model of two cities. The city of God is characterized by God\u2019s unconditional love and love for one\u2019s neighbor, especially the poor, while the earthly city \u201cis centered on pride and self-love (\u2018amor sui\u2019), on the thirst for worldly power and glory that leads to destruction.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile St. Augustine highlights the coexistence of the heavenly and earthly cities until the end of time, our era seems somewhat inclined to deny the city of God its \u2018right of citizenship,\u2019\u201d the pope noted.<\/p>\n
\u201cYet, as Augustine notes, \u2018Great is the folly of pride in those individuals who think that the supreme good can be found in this life and that they can become happy by their own resources,\u2019\u201d Leo said. \u201cPride obscures both reality itself and our empathy towards others. It is no coincidence that pride is always at the root of every conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n
Acest articol a fost publicat ini\u021bial de CNA.<\/p>\n