Pope: 'War Is Back In Vogue' — Warns Against Force-Based Diplomacy, Urges Protection For Venezuelans

Pope Leo XIV used his first New Year's address to the diplomatic corps at the Vatican to warn that "war is back in vogue" and to decry a growing tendency to resolve disputes through force rather than dialogue. The Chicago-born pontiff said this shift—across continents and conflicts—threatens the rule of law established after World War II.

Diplomacy Under Strain

In his address, Leo lamented the "weakness of multilateralism," saying forums meant for exchange and negotiation are losing their power as words and shared realities become contested. He warned that diplomacy grounded in dialogue is increasingly being replaced by "a diplomacy based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies."

Tensions in the Caribbean and Pacific

Without naming any country, the pope singled out rising tensions in the Caribbean and the Pacific as "cause for serious concern," specifically mentioning Venezuela. He referred to reports that U.S. forces recently seized the Venezuelan president and responded to comments by U.S. President Donald Trump about possible land operations against drug cartels following maritime incidents in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean. The pope called on all actors to "respect the will of the Venezuelan people, and to safeguard the human and civil rights of all."

Rule Of Law And Civilian Protection

Leo warned that the post–Second World War principle forbidding the use of force to violate another state's borders "has been completely undermined." He described the use of weapons to assert dominion as a grave threat to the rule of law and condemned attacks on hospitals, energy infrastructure, homes and other civilian essentials as serious violations of international humanitarian law.

'Rediscovering the meaning of words is perhaps one of the primary challenges of our time,' the pope said, stressing that clear language and shared facts are crucial to restoring effective multilateral dialogue.

Technology, Arms Races And The Middle East

Leo also cautioned about the danger of returning to an arms race, especially involving increasingly sophisticated weapons that incorporate artificial intelligence. On the Middle East, he reiterated support for a two-state solution and lamented the rising violence in the occupied West Bank, urging protection for Palestinian civilians and their right to live in peace on their own land.

Throughout the address, the pope urged leaders and the international community to prioritize human dignity and the sanctity of life over narrow national interests, and to revive multilateral spaces for dialogue and truth.