“Today, more than ever, it is essential to safeguard the spirit of Helsinki,” said Pope Leo XIV at the end of the general audience on July 30, 2025, noting the 50th anniversary of the agreements signed during the Cold War.
The 50th anniversary of the final document of the Helsinki Accords (1975) will be celebrated on August 1. The Pope recalled the key role played by the Church in these negotiations, particularly by Archbishop Agostino Casaroli, who was secretary of state to John Paul II between 1979 and 1990.
Casaroli chaired this conference on security and cooperation, which brought together countries from the Western and Eastern blocs in the context of the Cold War. This conference, said Leo XIV, opened a “new geopolitical chapter” by fostering closer ties between nations and promoting religious freedom.
On 1 August, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki Final Act will be commemorated. Motivated by the desire to ensure security during the Cold War, 35 countries launched a new geopolitical chapter, fostering a rapprochement between East and West. This event also marked renewed interest in human rights, with special emphasis on religious freedom — regarded as one of the cornerstones of the then emerging architecture of cooperation “from Vancouver to Vladivostok.”
The Holy See’s active participation in the Helsinki Conference — represented by Archbishop Agostino Casaroli — helped to promote political and moral commitment to peace.
Today, more than ever, it is essential to safeguard the spirit of Helsinki: to persevere in dialogue, strengthen cooperation, and make diplomacy the preferred path to prevent and resolve conflicts.
He did not explicitly mention Russia and Ukraine, but urged peace “from Vancouver to Vladivostok,” echoing the phrase used at the 1975 conference.
