Pope Leo XIV Advocates for Peace and Unity

Pope Leo XIV visited San Marino and attended a major Catholic event in Rimini. He delivered a powerful call for peace, urging believers to foster dialogue and friendship in a world marked by war and division. Speaking to tens of thousands in Rimini, Leo warned against a culture of rearming minds and nations. He emphasized that Christians should respond with mercy and a commitment to peace.

Addressing young Catholics, Leo encouraged them to see the future as promising and urged them to be signs of hope. Earlier in San Marino, he spoke to the local authorities about the legacy of Saints Marino and Leone. He credited the saints with establishing a society rooted in freedom, mutual respect, and community. Leo praised San Marino for maintaining these principles and noted its government structure designed to share power.

San Marino, with a population of 35,000 and surrounded by Italy, has origins dating to the fourth century. Its parliament elects two captains regent every six months to prevent concentration of power. Leo highlighted San Marino as a model for public service and social cohesion in a time of division.

Pope Leo XIV is the third pope to visit San Marino, following St. John Paul II in 1982 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2011. He praised the republic’s respect for freedom and God’s will. Warning against violence and ideologies prioritizing self-interest, he urged Christians to embrace forgiveness and solidarity.

Leo described San Marino as a “laboratory of good politics” and emphasized human dignity from conception to natural death. This aligns with Vatican opposition to abortion and euthanasia. In 2021, San Marino legalized abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, overturning a long-standing ban. Leo emphasized systems prioritizing human dignity and challenged models that claim liberation but fail to serve the common good.

At the Rimini Meeting, a Catholic cultural festival organized by Communion and Liberation, Leo called for peace through dialogue and friendship. He stressed that loving encounters should take precedence over political divisions and warned against a culture of confrontation.

Leo encouraged Christians to view opponents as brothers or sisters and to challenge systems causing poverty, inequality, and conflict. He urged disarmament of technological development that is invasive and destructive. A significant part of his speech focused on young people as sources of hope, encouraging them to fully engage with society.

Echoing themes from Pope Francis, Leo advocated for listening and dialogue, suggesting that the church grows through authentic witness rather than proselytism.