Pope Leo XIV urges global leaders to reject violence, embrace peace

By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI — The Catholic Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, has called on political leaders worldwide to uphold peace and stop justifying violence, warning that the unchecked pursuit of military power deepens global instability.

The pontiff made the remarks in a message commemorating this year’s World Day of Peace. He described justice and human dignity as being at “an alarming risk amid global power imbalances.”

“In today’s world, how can we live amid destabilization and conflict, and free ourselves from evil? We need to encourage every spiritual, cultural, and political initiative that keeps hope alive, countering the spread of fatalistic ideas that portray conflict as inevitable,” the pope said.

He noted that while many people are inclined toward peace, they are often overcome by a sense of powerlessness in an uncertain world. “When we treat peace as a distant ideal, we cease to be scandalized when it is denied—or even when war is waged in its name,” he added.

Pope Leo stressed that when peace is not actively lived, cultivated, and protected, aggression spreads into both domestic and international life. “In relations between citizens and rulers, it could even be considered a fault not to prepare for war, not to respond to attacks, and not to return violence for violence,” he warned.

The pontiff criticized the global reliance on military might, particularly nuclear arsenals, as a misguided response to external threats. “The detergent power of military might is based on irrationality, built not on law, justice, and trust, but on fear and domination by force,” he said.

Highlighting the scale of the problem, Pope Leo recalled that global military expenditure rose by 9.4 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year, continuing a decade-long upward trend and reaching a total of $2,718 billion.

The pope’s message underscores the need for leaders to prioritize dialogue, justice, and human dignity over the pursuit of power, urging a global shift from confrontation to peacebuilding.

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