On June 26, Pope Leo XIV delivered a homily to the mass held at the start of a two day Consistory, a meeting with all the Cardinals from around the world in Rome, in which he stated:
”... [W]e ask for the gift of peace in unity. Even as we invite all peoples to the faith in which we are truly free, international tensions and conflicts seriously wound the human family. At the same time, the Church and the world are not lacking initiatives and experiences that call for respect for human dignity, justice, the rule of law and simply for what is human. Indeed, there are many such examples. This is a source of hope, for it attests to the beauty of the work of God, who created us in his image and likeness as a sign of his glory in the world. Whenever this sign is wounded, we are all wounded. Whenever it is corrupted, we all suffer. Whenever it is destroyed, we all feel torn apart.
“Therefore, war is never worthy of humanity, and it is never blessed by God, because, even if we are equipped with high-tech weapons, the Creator has endowed us with intelligence and free will to resolve conflicts as human beings and not as beasts.
“That the unity of the human family takes precedence over individual peoples and states is not merely a biological fact; it is an ethical principle. Peace is a duty of justice because we are one human family, a magnifica humanitas that finds its head and redeemer in Christ,” he argued.
Referencing his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, he then enjoined the Church to persevere in creating a social order in which justice and charity are intertwined, creating “the civilization of love,” as Saint Paul VI had called it.
