Pope Leo XIV delivered his “State of the World” address on Jan. 9, which in imitation of his spiritual mentor St. Augustine, he spoke of the city of God, “which is eternal and characterized by God’s unconditional love (amor Dei), as well as love for one’s neighbor, especially the poor.” He stressed defending “the dignity of the weakest,” among whom he emphasized the migrant, and he cited many of the world’s hot spots, wherein war is prevalent, stating: “I wish to repeat my urgent appeal that peaceful political solutions to the current situation should be sought, keeping in mind the common good of the peoples and not the defense of partisan interests. This pertains in particular to Venezuela….
The Pope’s State of the World speech is usually given in the Vatican, at the beginning of the year, to members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See.
For Leo, although St. Augustine’s life is separated from today by more than 1600 years, the conditions are strikingly similar to many of the issues of today, including empire. Contrasted to the city of God, said Leo, is the earthly city, “epitomized by the Roman Empire. Indeed, the earthly city is centered on pride and self-love (amor sui), on the thirst for worldly power and glory that leads to destruction.”
The Pope, in defining Vatican diplomacy, and turning his eye to today, declared to the ambassadors—and to the world—that: “War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading. The principle established after the Second World War [through the United Nations], which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined.” He observed: “Peace is no longer sought as a gift and a desirable good in itself, or in the pursuit of ‘the establishment of the ordered universe willed by God, with a more perfect form of justice among men and women.’ Instead, peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominion. This gravely threatens the rule of law….”
