Pope Leo XIV Urges Global Leaders to Choose Reason Over War

(Pope Leo XIV. Photo Credit: Vanguard News)

Pope Leo XIV has called on the world to resolve conflicts through reason rather than violence, delivering a powerful anti-war message as he hosted a gathering of cardinals from around the world at the Vatican on Friday.

The closed-door assembly, known as a "consistory," brings together all 241 of the world's cardinals and is scheduled to run through Saturday.

It opened with a mass at St Peter's Basilica, presided over by the US-born pontiff, whose anti-war stance has previously drawn sharp criticism from US President Donald Trump.

"International tensions and conflicts seriously wound the human family," the pope said in his homily.

"War is never worthy of humanity, and it is never blessed by God.

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."

This marks the second time Pope Leo has convened the full college of cardinals since his election in May 2025.

The gathering, which will include prayers, workshops, and plenary sessions, is emerging as a key instrument of his governance, reflecting a desire for more collegial leadership within the Church.

Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers, described the assembly as an opportunity for genuine fellowship among church leaders, noting that the more frequently such meetings are held, the more united the college of cardinals will become.