In one of the most forceful addresses of his early papacy, Pope Leo used a global peace prayer vigil at Vatican City’s St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday to issue a searing condemnation of warmongering and an urgent call for global unity around dialogue. The 70-year-old American pontiff, elected to the papacy last May following the passing of Pope Francis, has emerged as a prominent voice against the rising tide of armed conflict across the globe, most recently doubling down on his criticism just one day prior, when he decried the “senseless and inhuman violence” roiling the Holy Land.
Speaking to gathered worshippers and a global audience of more than 1.4 billion Catholics, Pope Leo did not name specific politicians or nation states, a consistent practice in his public remarks, but his words landed as a sharp rebuke to global leaders pursuing military escalation. In characteristically measured but impassioned tones, he laid bare the human cost of unending conflict, painting a stark portrait of a world “where there never seem to be enough graves, for people continue to crucify one another and eliminate life, with no regard to justice and mercy.”
“Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life,” the pontiff implored. Directing his message first to global heads of state, he urged an immediate end to hostilities and a return to diplomatic negotiation: “To them we cry out: Stop! It is time for peace! Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation, not at the table where rearmament is planned and deadly actions are decided!”
Beyond national leaders, Pope Leo extended responsibility for building peace to ordinary people across the world, calling on the “immense multitude” that rejects war to cultivate a culture of peace in everyday spaces: homes, schools, neighborhoods, and both civil and religious communities. He framed this grassroots work as a counter to what he called the “delusion of omnipotence” that has grown increasingly aggressive and unpredictable across the global stage.
“A Kingdom that counters polemics and resignation through friendship and a culture of encounter. Let us believe once again in love, moderation and good politics,” he said, describing the Kingdom of God as a bulwark against the dehumanizing forces of war: “It also is a place with ‘no sword, no drone, no vengeance, no trivialisation of evil, no unjust profit, but only dignity, understanding and forgiveness.’”
Known as a moderate bridge-builder since his election, Pope Leo has repeatedly pushed for de-escalation in ongoing conflicts, most notably the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran, where he has consistently emphasized that a diplomatic solution is the only sustainable path forward. Saturday’s vigil marked one of his most passionate public entreaties to date, as he called on billions of people worldwide to reclaim shared values of compassion and cooperation in what he described as a “dramatic hour in history.”