Peace.
Justice.
Truth.
These are the three pillars of the new pope’s direction for the Catholic Church.
And Pope Leo’s goals for Vatican diplomacy.[1]
The world has been watching to see if there was a theological, ideological and political change from the last pope.
As a sovereign entity under international law, the pope – the central authority of the Catholic Church – maintains diplomatic relations with over 180 countries.[2]
It is customary, following the election of a new pope, for him to address the ambassadors to the Vatican from world governments prior to his formal installation Mass.
The meeting with the ambassadors occurred on the Friday before he was officially installed as Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, May 18th.
Here is what he said about Peace, Justice, and Truth:
Peace. It is more than the absence of violence and conflict. It is “first and foremost a gift.”[3]
He quoted from John 14:27, in which Jesus said, “My peace I give to you.”
He said that peace “is the first gift of Christ… Yet it is an active and demanding gift. It engages and challenges each of us, regardless of our cultural background or religious affiliation, demanding first of all that we work on ourselves.”[4]
Pope Leo elaborated, saying that the work we need to do on ourselves is to remove our pride and vindictiveness, and choose our words carefully.
He said that weapons are not the only things that can wound and kill – so can words.
He stressed the importance of dialogue between religions as one of the fundamental essentials of advancing peace between nations… and took a stand for religious freedom.
To pursue peace “requires full respect for religious freedom in every country, since religious experience is an essential dimension of the human person. Without it, it is difficult, if not impossible, to bring about the purification of the heart necessary for building peaceful relationships.”[5]
Justice. Every individual – from the unborn to the elderly – has dignity and value.
Pope Leo drew a connection between a just civil society and family life…
“It is the responsibility of government leaders to work to build harmonious and peaceful civil societies,” he said. “This can be achieved above all by investing in the family, which is founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman, ‘a small but genuine society, and prior to all civil society.’”[6]
So the new pope articulated traditional Catholic doctrine regarding marriage and family – that they are based on the stable union of one man and one woman.
He went on to say, “In addition, no one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike.”[7]
Thus, the unborn have dignity and deserve respect while still in the womb, just as those in every other stage and circumstance of life.
Pope Leo also indicated that in the area of justice, he also won’t hesitate to speak out against injustices that cause terrible working conditions and broken communities:
“Every effort should be made to overcome the global inequalities — between opulence and destitution — that are carving deep divides between continents, countries and even within individual societies.”[8]
Truth. Charity (Love) is essential when proclaiming truth.
Pope Leo made it clear to the ambassadors and diplomats of the world that peaceful relationships can only be established on truth.
It is difficult to develop authentic relations between individuals, between communities, between societies and between nations when words are ambiguous or untruthful.
Also, truth is compromised when “the virtual world, with its altered perception of reality, takes over unchecked.”[9]
“Furthermore,” he said, “from the Christian perspective, truth is not the affirmation of abstract and disembodied principles, but an encounter with the person of Christ himself, alive in the midst of the community of believers.”
“Truth, then, does not create division, but rather enables us to confront all the more resolutely the challenges of our time, such as migration, the ethical use of artificial intelligence and the protection of our beloved planet Earth.”[10]
While it is very true that an encounter with Jesus Christ is an encounter with truth, it is also clear in Scripture that Jesus caused division.
So the pope’s statement that “Truth… does not create division…” doesn’t follow the clear teaching of Jesus in the gospels.
In giving instructions to his disciples before sending them out to preach the kingdom of heaven to the cities and villages in Galilee, he said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not comet o bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34)
If the truth of Jesus had not created division, he would not have been condemned to death by crucifixion.
Inauguration Mass:
In his inauguration Mass as the 267th pope, Leo XIV echoed the same pillars of peace, justice and truth in his homily.
He called for the Catholic Church to foster peace by exemplifying “unity and communion” in a world that needs the gospel.
He said, “We want to say to the world with humility and joy: Look to Christ! Come closer to Jesus. Welcome his word that enlightens and consoles! Listen to his offer of love and become his one family: in the one Christ, we are one. This is the missionary spirit that must animate us.”[11]
The homily was delivered in Italian, but one Scripture passage was read in English – 1 Peter 5:1-5.
The apostle Peter is thought of by Catholics to have been the first Pope. In this passage, he gives the following instructions to the elders of the churches scattered throughout Greece and Turkey:
“To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings… Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock… In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’”
Intending to follow the example of Peter during his papacy, Pope Leo said, “Saint Peter must shepherd the flock without ever yielding to the temptation of being an autocrat, lording it over those entrusted to him. On the contrary, he is called to serve the faith of his brothers and sisters, and to walk along beside them… in the harmony of the Spirit, in the coexistence of diversity.”[12]
Noting the injustices and suffering that are occurring as a result of the conflicts in Gaza, Myanmar and Ukraine, the new pope said, “We can never forget our brothers and sisters who suffer because of war.”[13]
Emphasizing the need for love and unity among diversity, Pope Leo said, “The heart of the gospel is the love of God that makes us brothers and sisters. This is the hour for love! If this love were to prevail in the world, would not every conflict cease and never return? Together, as one people, as brothers and sisters, let us walk towards God and love one another.”[14]
It remains to be seen how this desire for love and unity will be perceived and interpreted by the LGBTQ+ community.
In 2012, as Rev. Robert Prevost, head of the Augustinian order, the new pope openly criticized what he called the “homosexual lifestyle,” and lamented that the media was promoting the acceptance of same-sex marriage.[15]
As noted above, Pope Leo believes that truth should be communicated in the spirit of love. In the past, he has:
supported left-wing environmental policies in his desire to care for the planet
endorsed stricter gun control laws in the U.S. in his desire to end violence
criticized strong U.S. policies regard illegal immigrants
not been an outspoken supporter of Israel.
Will he communicate biblical truth in love on these thorny issues?
It remains to be seen.
Pray for Pope Leo XIV, regardless of your religious affiliation.
Pray that:
he stands strong for biblical truth.
he resists the cultural compromise that weakened his predecessor.
he preaches Christ crucified—and resurrected.
Because when 1.4 billion people are listening…
What the Roman Catholic Pope says in the coming days matters more than ever.
What do you think? Email me at [email protected].
[1] McKenna Snow, https://catholicvote.org/message-diplomatic-corps-pope-leo-religious-freedom-dignity-of-all-persons/[2] Brooke Mallory, httos://www.oann.com/tag/brooke-mallory
[3] McKenna Snow, op. cit.
[4] McKenna Snow, op. cit.
[5] McKenna Snow, op. cit.
[6] Brooke Mallory, op. cit.
[7] McKenna Snow, op. cit.
[8] McKenna Snow, op. cit.
[9] McKenna Snow, op. cit.
[10] McKenna Snow, op. cit.
[11] Luke Coppen and JD Flynn, https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/leo-xiv-at-inauguration-mass-look
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Ibid.
[15] Brooke Mallory, op. cit.