Amid the horror of air strikes and starvation in Gaza, missile and drone attacks in the Russia-Ukraine war and days of deadly cross-border violence between India and Pakistan, it is clear that leaders must redouble their efforts to find peace in our precarious world. However, while politicians and military figures grapple with the challenges of conflict, it is spiritual and social leaders who often act as important voices of conscience.
A vital and influential voice with resounding effect is that of the head of the Catholic Church. Therefore, when US-born cardinal Robert Prevost greeted well-wishers from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica on Thursday, it was significant that his first public speech as Pope Leo XIV began with the words: “Peace be with all of you.” Reflecting on the Second World War and the many conflicts raging today, the new leader of the world’s more than one billion Catholics said humanity faced “the tragedy of a third world war in pieces”.
Pope Leo’s high-profile focus on peace is not just timely – it also comes with moral authority. This is because, unlike many political leaders, the head of the Catholic Church is unbound by national elections or term limits. Almost every pontiff has died in office and many popes have been an enduring presence, calling for peace as epoch-making events shape the globe.
Pope Francis, Pope Leo’s predecessor, embodied this critical aspect of the papacy. A brave and persuasive figure from the global south, he was outspoken in his defence of human rights and stern in his criticisms of war, greed and unchecked materialism. He was also a person of significance for many in Arab and Muslim-majority countries who recognised his sincere and painstaking work to build bridges with different traditions.
Indeed, Pope Leo begins his papacy with a considerable reservoir of goodwill in the Middle East; on Saturday, Catholics in the region were urged by local clergy to pray for the new pontiff. Others outside the Christian tradition have welcomed Pope Leo too, with Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Elders saying the body was “confident in continuing the journey of dialogue and fraternity with his holiness in pursuit of peace, and in working together to promote the values of love, understanding and mutual acquaintance – for a better world and a future in which all enjoy security, peace and stability”.
Should Pope Leo choose to repeat Francis’s historic trip to the Emirates, many in the UAE – from all communities – will offer the pontiff a warm welcome. The country’s spirit of tolerance has helped to make the nation a success story and set an example to a fractious world. That Pope Leo has used his first public appearances to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages and the resumption of humanitarian aid has not gone unnoticed. As he continues to champion the universal human values that underpinned his predecessor’s outreach to the Middle East, Pope Leo will find many in this part of the world receptive to his approach.
