Pope Leo decried the use of military force as a means of achieving diplomatic goals on Friday, delivering an unusually fiery annual foreign policy speech in which he also called for human rights to be protected in Venezuela.
Leo, the first US pope, said the weakness of international organizations in the face of global conflicts was “a particular cause for concern.”
“A diplomacy that promotes dialog and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force,” Leo told some 184 ambassadors accredited to the Vatican.
“War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading,” said Leo, who was elected pope in May.
Referring to the capture by US forces of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on the orders of President Donald Trump last weekend, the pope called for world governments to “respect the will” of the Venezuelan people going forward.
Nations must “safeguard the human and civil rights” of Venezuelans, Leo added.
Leo’s comments were part of an address that is sometimes called the pope’s “state of the world” speech. It was the first given by Leo, who was elected following the death of Pope Francis.
Both the US and Venezuelan ambassadors to the Holy See were among those present for the event.
