Pope Leo XIV arrived in Cameroon yesterday with a stinging message against war and corruption, saying peacemaking efforts must be based on the Christian concept of love of neighbour, including in diplomacy. Source: Crux.
In light of Cameroon’s ongoing armed conflict, the Pope told national authorities and the diplomatic corps in Cameroon to “to reject the logic of violence and war, and to embrace a peace founded on love and justice”.
“A peace that is unarmed, that is, not based on fear, threats or weapons, and at the same time disarming, because it is capable of resolving conflicts, opening hearts and generating trust, empathy and hope,” he said.
Peace, the Pope said, “cannot be reduced to a slogan: It must be embodied in a way of life that renounces all forms of violence, both personally and institutionally.”
This, he said, is an appeal he repeated and which he hopes “contributes to the efforts for an authentic peace, prioritising it over any partisan interest.”
“Peace, in fact, cannot be decreed: it must be embraced and lived,” he said, saying the quest for peace must be a collective effort.
In this sense, Leo insisted, “It is everyone’s responsibility, beginning with civil authorities.”
“To govern means to love one’s own country as well as neighbouring countries; the commandment ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ is equally applicable to international relations!” he said.
Pope Leo spoke after arriving in the Cameroonian capital of Yaoundé earlier that afternoon, and amid a flurry of criticism from US President Donald Trump and now Vice President JD Vance, who in recent remarks said the Pope ought to “be careful” when talking about theology.
During a Turning Point USA event in Athens, Georgia, Mr Vance challenged the Pope’s critique of US foreign policy, specifically its war with Iran, saying, “Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated France from the Nazis? Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated Holocaust camps and liberated those innocent people … who had survived the Holocaust?”
“I certainly think the answer is yes,” Mr Vance said, saying that while he and the pontiff can disagree on matters of morality, such as abortion and immigration, “it’s very, very important for the Pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.”
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Pope in Cameroon offers lesson on ‘love of neighbor’ in global diplomacy (By Elise Ann Allen, Crux)
