Leo XIV Blasts ‘False Propaganda of Rearmament’

Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV on Thursday criticized “the false propaganda of rearmament” during an audience with the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches (ROACO). The American pontiff questioned the long-held belief that war actions can lead to peace, expressing concern that such actions often backfire on those who initiate them.

According to Ansa News Agency, Pope Leo XIV further questioned the notion that rearmament and supremacy could solve global problems. He argued that this mindset only fuels hatred and revenge, highlighting the vast sums of money funneled into the military-industrial complex. These funds, he suggested, could be better spent on building hospitals and schools instead of destroying them.

The pontiff lamented the current global trend where the “law of the strongest” prevails, allowing nations to legitimize their interests through force. He expressed distress over the apparent erosion of international and humanitarian law, which he believes has been replaced by a misguided belief in the right to impose will through force. Pope Leo XIV described this as unworthy of humanity and shameful for world leaders.