Danjuma Amodu | January 10, 2026
Pope Leo XIV in his strongest anti-war address yet, condemned the global return of war as a tool of diplomacy, warned that peace is being weaponized into a luxury for the powerful, and called for an immediate end to conflicts, especially in Ukraine, Gaza, Venezuela, Haiti, Sudan, Myanmar and the South Caucasus while urging nations to reject force, embrace dialogue, and protect human dignity above all.
“We are living through a change of era,” he said, echoing Pope Francis, noting that today’s world mirrors the turbulence of Augustine’s time, mass migration, shifting power blocs, and a crisis of multilateralism where dialogue is giving way to brute force.
“A diplomacy that promotes consensus is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force,” the Pope warned. “War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading.”
He reminded the world that the post-World War II principle prohibiting nations from using force to violate borders has been shattered. Peace, he said, is no longer pursued as a gift or moral good but as a bargaining chip, secured only through weapons and domination.
“This gravely threatens the rule of law, which is the foundation of all peaceful civil coexistence.” He said
Recalling the birth of the United Nations from the ashes of WWII, Pope Leo stressed that international humanitarian law must never bend to strategic interests. Hospitals, homes, schools, and places essential to life are being destroyed, and civilians dragged into war zones.
“The Holy See firmly reiterates its condemnation of any form of involvement of civilians in military operations,” he declared.
Turning to specific hotspots,
Pope Leo XIV said Ukraine deserves an immediate ceasefire, Gaza’s civilians continue suffering despite a truce; Venezuela must respect its people’s will; Haiti needs urgent international aid to end violence.
He further added that Sudan is now a “vast battlefield”, South Sudan remains dangerously unstable Myanmar’s crisis demands humanitarian access and Armenia-Azerbaijan’s recent peace declaration offers a rare glimmer of hope.
He called for the revival of true multilateralism — one that reflects today’s realities, not those of 1945 and warned against the weaponisation of language and ideology, which erodes freedom of conscience, religious liberty, and even the right to life. He urged states to extend the New START treaty, curb AI-driven arms races, and protect conscientious objectors.
“Peace is not achieved through fear or firepower,” the Pope said. “It requires construction, continuous, patient, humble efforts. Pride is always at the root of every conflict.” He quoted Augustine: “Peace is ‘the aim of our good,’ the very aim of the city of God.”
He calls on the word to embrace ceasefires now, dialogue always, dignity for all, especially the unborn, the wounded, the displaced, the persecuted. Because peace, he reminded us, is not a luxury, it is a duty.
