Pope Leo, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church worldwide, on Thursday, December 18, 2025, strongly rebuked political and religious leaders who misuse faith to legitimise conflict, war or nationalist policies, describing such actions as blasphemous and a grave sin that dishonours God.
In his message ahead of the Catholic Church’s World Day of Peace, to be marked on January 1, 2026, Pope Leo—the first pontiff from the United States—did not mention any individual leader by name, but urged believers across the world to reject the manipulation of religion for political ends.
“Unfortunately, it has become increasingly common to see the language of faith dragged into political struggles, used to bless nationalism and to justify violence and armed conflict in the name of religion,” Pope Leo said.
He noted that some religious leaders have turned faith into a tool for inciting hatred among believers, while portraying such actions as patriotism—an approach he firmly condemned. The Pope stressed that the faithful must actively resist such practices through both words and daily conduct.
“Believers must resolutely oppose, above all through the witness of their lives, these forms of blasphemy that violate the sacred name of God,” he added.
In the four-page annual message, Pope Leo also expressed concern over rising global military expenditure. Citing figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), he said worldwide military spending increased by 9.4 percent in 2024, reaching 2.7 trillion US dollars—equivalent to 2.5 percent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Elected in May to succeed the late Pope Francis, Pope Leo has repeatedly warned of the dangers posed by exploiting religion to legitimise violence.
During his first foreign trip as Pope to Turkey last month, he told Middle Eastern Christian leaders that they must “firmly reject the use of religion to justify war, violence or any form of extremism.”
The Pope’s message comes amid growing global tensions and renewed debate over the role of religion in politics and international conflicts.
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