Holy See Will Not Be a Silent Bystander Amid Global Inequality and War

Rome, December 7, 2025: Receiving newly accredited Ambassadors to the Holy See, Pope Leo XIV affirmed on Saturday that the Holy See “will not be a silent bystander” in the face of rising global inequality and conflict.

Pope Leo welcomed thirteen Ambassadors representing Uzbekistan, Moldova, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Liberia, Thailand, Lesotho, South Africa, Fiji, Micronesia, Latvia, and Finland. He received their Letters of Credence and reminded them that, during this Jubilee Year of Hope, the Church continues to rely on the confidence and trust needed to rebuild unity — within the Church, in society, in international relations, and in efforts to uphold the dignity of every person and respect for God’s creation.

Recalling his first greeting as Bishop of Rome, “Peace be with you,” he renewed his call for what he describes as an “unarmed and disarming peace.”

Commitment to Peace

The Pope stressed that peace is “not merely the absence of conflict” but “an active and demanding gift built in the heart and from the heart.” He called for a firm commitment to reject “pride and vindictiveness” and to resist “the temptation to use words as weapons.” This appeal, he noted, becomes even more pressing as geopolitical tensions and fragmentation deepen, burdening nations and straining the bonds of the human family.

Addressing the humanitarian impact of global instability, Pope Leo observed that “the poor and the marginalised suffer most from these upheavals.” He reminded diplomats that “the measure of the greatness of a society is found in the way it treats those most in need.”

Reaffirming concerns expressed in his Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te, he cautioned that the world must not “avert its gaze from those who are easily rendered invisible by rapid economic and technological change.”

Holy See Will Not Remain Silent

Pope Leo declared that the Holy See will continue to speak out against grave disparities, injustice, and fundamental human rights violations across the world. The Church’s diplomatic mission, he added, remains “consistently directed toward serving the good of humanity,” particularly those who are poor, vulnerable, or pushed to the margins of society.

He urged the new Ambassadors to join the Holy See in promoting renewed multilateral cooperation “at a moment when it is sorely needed.” He expressed his hope that their work would contribute to a more just, fraternal, and peaceful world by “laying the foundations for a more just and peaceful world.”

Concluding his address, Pope Leo prayed that their mission would “open new doors of dialogue, foster unity, and advance that peace for which the human family so ardently longs.”

Holy See Will Not Be a Silent Bystander Amid Global Inequality and War

Latest News