Pope Leo tells diplomats the dignity of migrants must be respected

Pope Leo XIV, in his first address to world diplomats at the Vatican, said on Friday the dignity of migrants had to be respected, while also calling on nations to halt the production of weapons and prioritise peace efforts.

The pope, who comes from the US and lived for many years in Peru, described himself as a “descendant of immigrants” and called for compassion and solidarity for displaced people.

Pope Leo also used his speech to restate the Catholic Church's traditional teaching on marriage, affirming it is a “stable union between a man and a woman” and underscoring the importance of family as a foundation for harmony in society.

Leo, who was elected pope last week, wove his speech around the themes of peace, justice, religious freedom, the root causes of conflicts and the need for multilateral diplomacy.

He said his experience of having lived in North and South America and his world travels had given him the ability to “transcend borders to encounter different peoples and cultures”.

Leo also indicated he would continue in the tradition of his predecessors to travel the world.

He reaffirmed the church's position against abortion and said the church would not hesitate to use “blunt language” to speak truth to the powerful of the world.

He specifically mentioned only the Middle East and Ukraine, saying they were two places where people were suffering “most grievously” today.

Reuters