Pope Leo XIV addresses members of the Diplomatic Corps. Source image: Catholic News Agency
Just a week after his election to the See of Peter, on Friday Pope Leo XIV delivered his first address to Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See.
Pope Leo XIV address was focused on what he identified as pillars of the Church’s missionary activity and the foundation of the Holy See’s diplomatic engagement: the three pillars are: peace, justice and truth.
Speaking about peace, Pope warned against viewing peace as a negative word, “the first gift of Christ”, that is how he described the word and he further said it is a demanding and active gift. “Peace is built in the heart and from the heart, by eliminating pride and vindictiveness and carefully choosing our words. For words too, not only weapons, can wound and kill,” he said
Pope Leo XIV believes and affirmed that religious freedom and interreligious dialogues have an indispensable role in developing climate peace. To emphasize his point he echoed the words of Pope Francis’ final Urbi et Orbi message, in which he warned that ” no peace is possible without true disarmament”.
On justice, the Pope reflected on the memory of Pope Leo XIII and the Church’s tradition of social teaching. He encouraged government leaders to invest in family and uphold the dignity of every person.
He said ” No one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike.”
Identifying himself as a citizen, the descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigate he said every person needs and yearns for the truth. He continued that in a world that is distorted it is the Church’s duty to speak truth with charity, even when difficult or misunderstood.
He said ” truth, then doesn’t not create division but rather enables us to confront all the more resolutely the challenges of our time.”
Pope Leo XIV places his ministry in the context of the Jubilee Year of Hope, this he described as a time for conversion, renewal and leaving conflict behind.
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