Pope criticizes Trump administration over ‘outdated’ idea of a ‘just war’ |
Pope Leo XIV on Monday labelled “outdated” the concept of a “just war” put forward by US President Donald Trump’s administration, warning that “humanity is slipping into a violent culture of power.”
In his first encyclical, a sort of manifesto, US-born Leo focused mainly on the rise of artificial intelligence but also returned to an anti-war message that has caused tensions with Washington.
“Today, more than ever, without prejudice to the right to self-defense in the strictest sense, it is important to reaffirm that the ‘just war’ theory, which has all too often been used to justify any kind of war, is now outdated,” he wrote in Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity).
“Humanity possesses far more effective and capable tools for promoting human life and resolving conflicts, such as dialogue, diplomacy and forgiveness,” he wrote.
The pope has been a high-profile critic of the Middle East war, which started with US and Israeli air strikes on Iran in February.
He condemned Trump’s threat to destroy Iran as “truly unacceptable” and urged Americans to demand that US lawmakers “work for........