Once again, Pope Leo XIV has been attacked for proclaiming the Gospel of Peace

While it is sad to see the pope criticized, it is especially so when the criticisms are false and without foundation. For example, even a cursory glance at papal documents over the past several decades would be enough to convince someone that the popes, including Pope Leo XIV, are adamantly against nuclear weapons. Ironically, it is the nuclear states that have apparently relegated the Non-proliferation Treaty to the dustbin, and it is the nuclear states that have refused to sign the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, first signed by the Vatican. Pope Leo XIV has, from the very first moments of his papacy, promoted peace and unity. I thank God he continues to do so with courage and determination, unswayed by those who seem to think that power and military might are the means to achieve peace. Pope Leo XIV is correct to urge our world leaders to lay down their arms, respect the sanctity of human life, and achieve peace through mutual respect, dialogue, and diplomacy. The words of the Gospel are relevant: “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its sheath, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword’” (Matthew 26:52).

Most Reverend John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe