Jan. 9 (UPI) — Pope Leo XIV warned that “war is back in vogue” in his State of the World address Friday to ambassadors who are accredited to the Holy See.
The annual meeting is one of the most significant events in the Vatican’s yearly calendar and helps to define its diplomatic positions for the year, according to Vatican News.
The pope took the moment to reference the United States’ recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
“The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined,” he said.
“I renew my appeal to respect the will of the Venezuelan people, and to safeguard the human and civil rights of all, ensuring the stability and concord,” the pope added.
He called for an “immediate cease-fire” in Ukraine and expressed his support for a two-state solution to bring peace to the Middle East, while giving Palestinians a “future of lasting peace and justice in their own land.”
Pope Leo lamented what he called a decline in multilateralism and global cooperation, leading to peace instead of armed conflict.
“They do not, therefore, wish to have peace, but only the peace that they desire,” he said.
He said such a global mentality led to two world wars during the 20th century, but eventually produced the United Nations, which the pope said is tasked with “safeguarding peace, defending fundamental human rights and promoting sustainable development.”
Among other topics mentioned were a rising risk of nuclear war and the emergence of artificial intelligence.
He urged a renewed effort to control the proliferation of nuclear arms as the New START Treaty is scheduled to expire in February amid efforts by North Korea and Iran to join the ranks of nuclear powers and Russia’s repeated threats to use nuclear arms against Ukraine and others if compelled to do so.
Meanwhile, the emergence of AI “requires appropriate and ethical management” to ensure it is used to better the world and its societies and does not cause harm, Pope Leo said.
He also addressed matters involving migration, human trafficking and crime and cautioned against “undermining the dignity of migrants and refugees.”
Then he addressed the need for greater communication to help people of differing backgrounds to more effectively communicate and establish meaningful connections, rather than remaining divided by language and using it to cause harm instead of doing good in the world.