Pope Leo XIV condemns the use of religious beliefs to justify conflicts | World

The pontiff did not mention the name of any world leader. This statement was made in a message ahead of the World Day of Peace, celebrated on January 1.

“Unfortunately, it has become increasingly common to introduce the language of faith into political battles, to bless nationalism and to justify violence and armed struggle in the name of religion,” said Leo XIV.

“The faithful must actively refute, particularly through the testimony of their lives, these forms of blasphemy which profane the holy name of God,” he added.

The head of the Catholic Church also drew attention to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in global conflicts.

“There is … a growing tendency among political and military leaders to shirk their responsibilities, as decisions regarding life and death are increasingly ‘delegated’ to machines,” the pontiff said.

Leo XIV, elected by the cardinals in May to succeed Pope Francis, spoke several times during his first year on the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.

He also condemned violence in the name of religion during his first foreign trip as pope, telling Middle Eastern Christian leaders during a trip to Turkey last month that they must “strongly reject the use of religion to justify war, violence or any form of fundamentalism.”

In the new message, the pope also lamented the global increase in military spending, citing data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which indicates that global military spending increased by 9.4 percent in 2024, reaching a total of US$2.7 trillion, or the equivalent of 2.5 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP).