Pope urges Europe to make concessions for peace

Pope Leo XIV called on European leaders to show courage in negotiations and agree to make concessions for peace. He said the desire for peace should not be confused with a “naive form of pacifism.” Peace cannot be preserved without efforts commensurate with the dangers that threaten it.

Leo XIV said that Europe should be "ware of the illusion that the answer is rearmament." “Today we must ask ourselves: are we really making a constructive effort to promote world peace, or are we simply trying to contain escalation and better prepare for wars that we assume are yet to come?”

The Pope said this at a speech to European leaders in Metz. He called the ongoing armed conflict in Europe a senseless massacre that takes the lives of civilians every day. He also called for the EU’s fundamental values, including the rule of law and the equality of all people. His speech received a standing ovation, reports Reuters.

At a press conference following the visit, the Pope also called on Russia and Ukraine to sit down at the negotiating table. “The Church has a responsibility to promote these values, constantly calling on leaders – both Russia and Ukraine and other countries – to unite, sit down at the negotiating table and engage in dialogue,” he said.