The pope in a major foreign policy address blasts how countries are using force to assert dominion

In his most sweeping critique of military interventions around the world, Pope Leo XIV has condemned how nations increasingly resort to force to assert dominance, warning that such actions are “completely undermining” global peace and the post-World War II international legal order.

“War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading,” the pontiff told ambassadors gathered for his annual address to the Vatican diplomatic corps, which traditionally serves as his yearly foreign policy statement.

Speaking primarily in English—a notable departure from the Vatican’s diplomatic tradition of using Italian and French—history’s first American-born pope delivered a pointed assessment of the current geopolitical landscape. While he avoided naming specific countries, his remarks came amid heightened tensions following the recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela to remove Nicolás Maduro from power, Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, and other global conflicts.

“A 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,” Leo stated. “The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined.”

The pope expressed particular concern about the erosion of multilateralism and the United Nations’ diminishing authority in global affairs. “Instead, peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominion. This gravely threatens the rule of law, which is the foundation of all peaceful civil coexistence,” he warned.

Addressing the Venezuela crisis specifically, Leo called for a peaceful political solution focused on “the common good of the peoples and not the defense of partisan interests.” The U.S. military’s surprise nighttime raid to seize Maduro has drawn international criticism, with many analysts warning that such actions could establish dangerous precedents for future military interventions and further undermine the global legal order.

The Trump administration has defended the operation as legal, claiming that drug cartels operating from Venezuela constituted unlawful combatants and that the U.S. is now engaged in an “armed conflict” with these groups. Critics have viewed this justification skeptically, seeing the intervention primarily as an attempt to control Venezuela’s vast oil resources and install a more favorable government.

Regarding Ukraine, the pope renewed his appeal for an immediate ceasefire and urged the international community to remain steadfast “in its commitment to pursuing just and lasting solutions that will protect the most vulnerable and restore hope to the afflicted peoples.”

On the ongoing crisis in Gaza, Leo reiterated the Holy See’s longstanding support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, emphasizing Palestinians’ right to live in Gaza and the West Bank “in their own land.”

The pontiff also highlighted the global persecution of Christians as “one of the most widespread human rights crises today,” noting that it affects one in seven Christians worldwide. He cited specific examples of religiously motivated violence in Bangladesh, Nigeria, the Sahel region, Mozambique, and Syria, while also pointing to more subtle forms of discrimination in Europe and the Americas.

In these Western regions, Leo claimed Christians “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.”

Consistent with Catholic teaching, the pope reaffirmed the church’s opposition to abortion and euthanasia, expressing “deep concern” about initiatives to provide cross-border access to abortion services. He also took a firm stance against surrogacy, describing it as a threat to human dignity that “transforms gestation into a negotiable service” and reduces children to “products.”

This comprehensive address marks Pope Leo XIV’s first major foreign policy statement since his election, establishing him as a vocal critic of military interventionism and a staunch defender of the post-World War II international order that has come under increasing strain in recent years.