Pope Leo XIV denounced violations of international and humanitarian law in Gaza and Ukraine after regretting the “diabolical vehemence” of war and criticizing rearmament policies.
In a speech to the meeting of the works of help to the Eastern Churches (Roaco)-the operational arm of the Holy See to assistance to the Eastern Churches-regretted “the imposition of the law of the strongest” in these territories “by virtue of which the interests are legitimized”.
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And he exclaimed: “It is bleak to see that the force of international law and humanitarian law no longer seems to force, replaced by the supposed right to force others with force. This is unworthy of man, is shameful for humanity and for those responsible for nations.”
On the other hand, he called the international community to evaluate the causes of these conflicts. Specifically, he urged to “verify the true and try to overcome them, and to reject the false, the result of emotional simulations and rhetoric, unmasking them decisively.”
“People cannot die from false news,” he denounced without revealing what kind of information he was referring to.
And he asked: “How can we continue betraying the desires of peace of the peoples with the false propaganda of the rearme, with the vain illusion that the supremacy solves the problems instead of feeding hatred and revenge?”
Two days after the 32 NATO members have signed a commitment to increase defense spending up to 5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of member countries from here to 10 years, the Pope insisted that defense arms spending is not the solution to stop conflicts.
Money that will stop at the pockets of the merchants of death
“People are increasingly aware of the amount of money that will stop to the pockets of death merchants and with which hospitals and schools could be built; and instead those who are already built are destroyed!”
At the audience in the Vatican, which took place after the 98th Assembly of the ROACO on Tuesday and Wednesday in which the situation is analyzed in the Holy Land (especially in Gaza), Armenia, Syria, Ethiopia, Ukraine and other fronts on which the diplomatic action of the Holy See, the cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the dicasion for the eastern churches and president of this organization; In addition to some of the representatives of the Catholic agencies that are part of Roaco.
In this sense, Leo XIV lamented “the physical absence of those who should have come from the Holy Land, but they have not been able to undertake the trip”, due to the restrictions on the flights due to the conflict.
To all of them, he thanked the work of hope that the roaco does in these countries that are “wrapped in a mantle of hate that makes the air irrespirable and toxic” and criticized that the violence of the war is abaten “with a diabolical vehemence never seen before.”
He also said that the history of the Eastern Catholic churches has also been marked by “the oppressions and misunderstandings within the Catholic structure itself, unable to recognize and appreciate the value of traditions other than the western one.”
Leo XIV exclaimed that – in addition to being peace builders and favoring dialogue – Christians must really pray and be testimony.
“It is up to us to make every news and tragic image that impacts a cry of intercession to God,” he said.
On the other hand, he asked Christians to remain faithful to Jesus, “without being entangled in the tentacles of power.”
“There is still much ignorance” of Eastern traditions
On the other hand, the Pontiff praised the beauty of oriental traditions, but regretted that in the Catholic Church “there is still much ignorance about it.”
“His sense of the sacred, his crystalline faith, hardened by the tests, and his spirituality that smells of the divine mystery can be useful to satisfy the thirst of latent God but present in the West,” he explained.
Therefore, he said that it is necessary to “organize basic courses on Eastern Churches in seminars, the faculties of theology and Catholic university centers.”
“The eastern Catholics of today are no longer distant cousins who celebrate unknown rites, but brothers and sisters who, because of forced migrations, live by our side,” he said.
Victoria Cardiel
Victoria Cardiel is a journalist specialized in social and religious information issues. Since 2013, he has covered all the news of the Vatican for various media, such as the Spanish news agency Europa Press, or the weekly of the Archdiocese of Madrid, Alfa and Omega.