Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday declared that "there is no such thing as a holy war," asserting that only peace is holy. The pontiff delivered this message in a video statement to a gathering of religious leaders in Assisi, Italy, a town renowned for its association with St. Francis of Assisi.
Leo XIV, who is recovering from lung cancer surgery on Oct. 13, was originally scheduled to attend the event in person but was unable to due to his convalescence. The gathering marked the 40th anniversary of a significant interfaith peace meeting initiated by Pope John Paul II, which at the time was controversial for bringing together leaders of different faiths to pray.
In his address, the American pope condemned what he described as a "troubling revival of war as an instrument of international politics" and the use of religious justifications by leaders to promote conflict. He urged the cultivation of the "spirit of Assisi" in the current era, emphasizing that war should never be waged in the name of God and stressing the need to rebuild peace globally rather than prepare for more warfare.
The pope's remarks come at a time when religious justifications for conflict have been notably employed by various parties. The Russian Orthodox Church has characterized Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a "holy war" against a perceived morally corrupt Western world. Similarly, leaders involved in the Iran conflict have invoked religious justifications for their actions.
Pope Leo XIV has consistently opposed such rationales, viewing them as a distortion of religious principles. In his first encyclical, "Magnificent Humanity," he stated that fighting in the name of religion is effectively an attack on religion itself.
Alongside this message of peace, the Vatican is intensifying its humanitarian efforts for Ukraine. Following the implementation of a localized ceasefire in the heavily damaged southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky, Monsignor Luis Marín de San Martín, the pope's chief almsgiver, began a three-day visit to Ukraine. He brought multiple truckloads of winter clothing, blankets, and food to Kyiv for distribution.
Marín de San Martín's itinerary includes visits to Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, and Fastiv. He stated that the purpose of the visit is to understand the needs directly from the local population and to convey the Holy Father's concern and care, assuring those suffering that they are not alone.
Earlier, Pope Leo XIV had called for a ceasefire and the delivery of aid to Oleshky, as well as the safe evacuation of civilians. He initiated a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin from the hospital on Oct. 16 to discuss these matters. Three days later, after returning to the Vatican, the pontiff spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressing hope that cooperation between the parties would facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of civilians.
These Vatican initiatives follow the conclusion of Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi's third mission to Moscow on September 30, which was the first under Pope Leo XIV's pontificate.