The pope in a major foreign policy address blasts how countries are using force to assert dominion

"War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading, Leo told ambassadors from around the world who represent their countries' interests at the Holy See. Leo didn't name individual countries that have resorted to force in his lengthy speech, the bulk of which he delivered in English in a break from the Vatican's traditional diplomatic protocol of Italian and French."

"A diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies, he said. The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined. Instead, peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one's own dominion."

Military incursions and the use of force by states are eroding the post-World War II principle prohibiting violations of sovereign borders. Diplomacy based on dialogue and consensus is being supplanted by a diplomacy founded on coercion by individuals or alliances. Peace is increasingly sought through weapons as a means of asserting dominion, which threatens the rule of law and peaceful civil coexistence. Recent tensions including a U.S. operation in Venezuela and Russia's war in Ukraine exemplify contemporary conflicts. Additional concerns include threats to religious freedom, and opposition to abortion and surrogacy amid weakening multilateral institutions.

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