In a stark and sobering address to the diplomatic corps at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV delivered a powerful critique of the current global order, declaring that war is "back in vogue." The pontiff's speech, delivered on Friday, highlighted a dangerous shift in international relations away from dialogue and toward force.
A Grave Warning on the Global Stage
The first US-born pope did not mince words as he addressed ambassadors. He expressed deep concern that the foundational principles of the post-World War II era are crumbling. "The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined," Pope Leo stated. He argued that a diplomacy of consensus is being replaced by one dictated by military power, exercised by individual nations or selective alliances.
The Erosion of Peace and the Rule of Law
Pope Leo XIV painted a troubling picture where peace is pursued through armaments as a means to establish dominance. "Peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominion," he said. This approach, he warned, poses a severe threat to the international rule of law, which he described as the essential bedrock for any peaceful coexistence between nations. His message underscored a global trend where sabre-rattling and the zeal for conflict are becoming alarmingly normalized.
A Call to Strengthen Multilateral Cooperation
A central point of the Pope's critique was the "weakness of multilateralism." He identified this failure of nations to work together through established international institutions as a primary cause for concern. The pontiff's speech serves as a direct appeal to world leaders and diplomats to recommit to the cooperative frameworks designed to prevent conflict. He implicitly called for a renewal of the spirit of dialogue over the doctrine of force, urging a collective return to the diplomatic table to address global disputes.
The Pope's urgent warning comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions in multiple regions, making his call for restraint and renewed diplomacy particularly resonant for a global audience, including observers in Pakistan who follow international peace and security matters closely.
