Pope Leo XIV has issued a powerful condemnation of what he described as the growing dominance of “blunt power” over the principles of international law, as wars and atrocities continue unabated around the world. In a stark post on social media on Thursday, the newly elected pontiff wrote:
“It is disheartening to see today that the strength of international law and humanitarian law no longer seems binding, replaced by the presumed right to overpower others. This is unworthy and shameful for humanity and for the leaders of nations.”
Though he did not directly name any conflict, his comments come as global outrage mounts over the Israeli assault on Gaza, widely described by UN experts and rights groups as a genocide. More than 56,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed, according to Gaza’s health authorities, with nearly the entire population displaced amid widespread destruction.
Israel, backed by the United States, stands accused of grave violations of international humanitarian law, including using starvation as a weapon of war, as cited in International Criminal Court (ICC) warrants recently issued against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
Despite these charges, key Western allies—many of whom are ICC members—have continued their military and trade relations with Israel. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has also ruled Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal and demanded its end “as rapidly as possible.”
Pope Leo, the first American to hold the papacy and successor to Pope Francis, had earlier called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in May, saying:
“From the Gaza Strip, we hear rising ever more insistently to the heavens, the cries of mothers and fathers who clutch the lifeless bodies of their children.”
The Pope’s moral appeal comes at a time when other devastating conflicts, such as in Sudan and Ukraine, continue with little progress toward peace, while global institutions remain largely ineffective.