Pope Leo XIV meets
with members of the Diplomatic Corps (ANSA)
Pope to Diplomatic Corps: Build peace with justice,
truth, and hope
Pope Leo XIV addresses the Diplomatic Corps and encourages
the ambassadors to pursue paths of peace with justice, truth and hope.
By Francesca Merlo
Pope Leo XIV addressed members of the Diplomatic Corps
accredited to the Holy See on Friday morning, just one week after his election
to the See of Peter.
Marking his first address to the diplomatic community, Pope
Leo XIV paid tribute to Ambassador George Poulides of Cyprus, the outgoing Dean
of the Corps, praising his years of “energy, commitment and kindness,” as well
as the esteem he earned from Pope Francis and previous Popes.
Turning then to the diplomatic representatives, the Pope
reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to serve all humanity, describing the
diplomatic community as a family “that shares the joys and sorrows of life” and
is grounded in human and spiritual values. The Pope went on to note that in
this family the Church does not seek priviliges but rather opportunities to
build bridges, particularly through its distinctive form of diplomacy rooted in
pastoral concern.
Pope Leo XIV went on to note that this mission echoes the
legacy of Pope Francis, whose commitment to the poor and the marginalised, as
well as his attention to the protection of creation and the rise of artificial
intelligence, remains a constant and ongoing inspiration.
Reflecting then on his own life, which has taken him across
North and South America and Europe, the Pope expressed his personal desire to
“transcend borders,” and to deepen the Church’s relationship with peoples and
nations throughout the world.
Three pillars: peace, justice, and truth
At the heart of the Pope’s address were three essential
words, which he identified as the pillars of the Church’s missionary activity
and the foundation of the Holy See’s diplomatic engagement: peace, justice and
truth.
Peace
The first word, peace, he described not as the
mere absence of war, but as a demanding and active gift, “the first gift of
Christ”. True peace, he continued, must begin in the human heart, through
humility, careful speech, and the rejection of both pride and vengeance. This,
he continued, refers to words as well, since “not only weapons can wound and
even kill”.
With this in mind, Pope Leo XIV emphasised the indispensable
role of religious freedom and interreligious dialogue in cultivating peace. He
called for a renewal of multilateral diplomacy and a decisive halt to the arms
race, echoing Pope
Francis’ final Urbi et Orbi message, in which he warned, as he often did,
that “no peace is possible without true disarmament”.
Justice
Turning then to the second word, justice, Pope
Leo reflected on the memory of Pope Leo XIII and the Church’s rich tradition of
social teaching. With the world facing ever deepening global inequalities, Pope
Leo urged leaders to invest in the family and to uphold the dignity of every
human person.
He then shared a brief reflection on his own identity as the
child of immigrants, and called for greater solidarity, rooted in the shared
human dignity of all people, regardless of circumstance or nationality.
Truth
Speaking then of the third and final world, truth,
Pope Leo XIV described the essential need for authentic communication and
peaceful relations. In a world where reality is often distorted, especially
online, the Pope insisted on the Church’s duty to speak truth with charity,
even when difficult or misunderstood.
“Truth,” he said, “is not an abstract principle but an
encounter with the person of Christ”. It is this truth, he continued, that
allows humanity to face its most urgent challenges, such as migration,
technology or the environment, with unity and shared purpose.
Hope for a new path
Bringing his address to a close, Pope Leo XIV placed his
ministry within the context of the Jubilee Year of Hope, which he described as
a time for conversion, renewal, and above all, for leaving conflict behind.
Finally, he renewed the Holy See’s commitment to walking
alongside every nation in building a world where all may live with dignity and
peace. “It is my hope,” he concluded, “that this will be the case everywhere,
starting with those places that suffer most grievously, like Ukraine and the
Holy Land.”
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