Pope Leo XIV, the first United States-born pope, gave a speech on the World Day of Peace, condemning the use of violence. Recently, wars between countries such as the US war with Iran and the long-lasting Russia-Ukraine war continue to cause many deaths.

Pope’s Message

The Pope starts by warning countries about how the common use of violence for people to be kept in power leads to mistreatment of its citizens. According to The Vatican News, he talks about how the modern definition of “realism” has slowly deteriorated our sense of hope and how we see the world. “Many today call ‘realistic’ those narratives devoid of hope, blind to the beauty of others and forgetful of God’s grace, which is always at work in human hearts, even though wounded by sin,” states Pope Leo XIV.

Church Leaders reflect on the Pope’s words

Also from the Vatican News, Neil Thorns, the Director of Advocacy for the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), adds to what Pope Leo is talking about by mentioning the current events in Sudan, stating, “We shouldn’t accept that the United Nations has repeatedly described Sudan as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.” Thorns then includes that these communities, although suffering greatly, have characteristics that should be shown in leaders of the countries. “That’s exactly what you see in these communities,” Thorns says, “Generosity, warmth, and spirit—even in the darkest times. And that’s what needs to be translated into political leadership.” Thorns restates words from former Pope Paul VI, “If you want peace, work for justice.”

Pope’s recent “State of the World” debut address

As reported in an article by CNN, Pope Leo noted in his “State of the World” address that the respect for establishing borders between countries has been completely disregarded. He also says that international diplomacy established cooperatively is being replaced by a more enforced presence.

According to an article by the NY Post, the Pope spoke after a strike from the US hit a school in Iran. He referenced an attack in the opening days of the war that struck a school in Iran and killed more than 165 people, many of them children. The US claimed that the outdated intelligence may have led to the incident.