Pope Leo Decries 'Zeal for War,' Calls for Venezuela Human Rights in Fiery Speech

• Pope Leo condemned the use of military force over diplomacy, stating "war is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading."
• He urged world governments to "respect the will" and safeguard human rights of Venezuelans following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro.
• In his first "state of the world" speech, Leo criticized the weakness of international organizations in global conflicts.
• The Pope, formerly US Cardinal Robert Prevost, also blasted abortion, euthanasia, surrogate births, and shrinking freedom of expression in Western countries.
• Leo highlighted a "subtle form of religious discrimination" against Christians in Europe and the Americas.

Why It Matters: Pope Leo delivered a strong message against war, for human rights in Venezuela, and criticized modern societal trends.