Brussels 09.01.2026 Pope Leo delivered his first annual “State of the World” address to Vatican-accredited envoys from 184 countries, warning of rising global crises and calling on world leaders to act with justice and compassion. The speech highlighted challenges ranging from conflict and inequality to environmental threats, sending a stark message to the international diplomatic community.

Warning that “war is back in vogue” and that peace is increasingly sought through force rather than justice, Pope Leo XIV issued a strong appeal for humility, dialogue, and a renewed commitment to multilateralism in his address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See.

This morning in the Vatican the #diplomaticcorps accredited to the #HolySee met @pontifex and listened to the message of 🕊️ he sent to all the nations of the🌎🌍🌏. pic.twitter.com/nPEWUyiSFk

— PedroLudwigBarragán🇲🇽 (@ludwigbarragan) January 9, 2026

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Speaking on Friday, 9 January, during the traditional exchange of New Year greetings, the Pope cautioned that the foundations of international coexistence are being steadily undermined, as diplomacy based on dialogue gives way to the logic of power and deterrence.

“The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined,” he said, warning that such a mindset gravely threatens the rule of law itself.

The annual meeting between the Pope and Ambassadors accredited to the Holy See is considered one of the most significant moments in the Vatican’s diplomatic calendar.

Often dubbed the “State of the World” Address, the Pope’s discourses in these occasions tend to offer a moral reading of international life – an appeal not to interests, but to conscience – offered at the beginning of a new year as a call to responsibility, restraint, and renewal.

For Pope Leo XIV, who said the occasion is “a new experience,” having been called only months ago to “shepherd Christ’s flock,” the address also served to articulate the moral horizon within which the Holy See understands diplomacy: a patient work of encounter, a defence of the vulnerable, and a commitment to peace rooted in truth.