Pope Leo
In his first encyclical entitled “Magnifica Humanitas,” meaning “Marvelous Humanity,” the Pope stressed that the concept of “just war” was established primarily as a means of deterrence to prevent conflicts, not as a political or moral cover to justify them, considering that some parties have misused this theory over the years to market wars and conflicts.
Pope Leo
This position comes in light of the continuing repercussions of the US-Israeli war on Iran, and the growing international divisions over regional conflicts, in addition to the escalating debate within the United States and Europe about the role of military industries in fueling wars.
The Pope’s position also brought tension back to the forefront with US President Donald Trump, after the latter had launched, during the past weeks, a series of unprecedented public attacks against the Pope of the Vatican, against the backdrop of his criticism of the war and the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
The Pope then responded by affirming that “the mission of the Church is to preach the Bible and peace,” adding: “If someone wants to criticize me for preaching the Bible, I simply hope that he will listen to the value of the Lord’s words.”
Pope Leo
The Vatican’s new message is seen as an attempt to revive the moral and diplomatic role of the Catholic Church in confronting wars, especially with the escalation of international calls to limit arms races and pressure for political settlements to open conflicts.
