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Pope Francis’ address to members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the holy see
Hall of Benediction – Thursday, 9 January 2025
Luke (4:16-21),
Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read; 17 and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. He began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Isaiah 61:1-2a underlined)
“All life must be protected, at every moment, from conception to natural death”
Dear Ambassadors,
In the words of the prophet Isaiah, which the Lord Jesus read in the synagogue of Nazareth at the beginning of his public life, as we learn from the evangelist Luke (4:16-21), we find epitomized not only the mystery of Christmas which we have just celebrated, but also that of the present Jubilee.
Christ came “to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Is 61:1-2a).
Unfortunately, we begin this year with the world torn apart by numerous conflicts, large and small, more or less known, but also by the resumption of heinous acts of terrorism, such as those that recently committed in Magdeburg in Germany and in New Orleans in the United States.
We are also witnessing growing conflictual social and political tensions in many countries.
We see increasingly polarized societies, characterized by a general sense of fear and mistrust of others and of the future aggravated by the constant creation and spread of fake news, which not only distorts facts but also perceptions.
This phenomenon creates false images of reality, a climate of suspicion that fuels hate, undermines people’s sense of security and threatens civil coexistence and the stability of entire nations.
Tragic examples of this are the attacks on the President of the Government of the Slovak Republic and the President-elect of the United States of America.
This climate of insecurity leads to the erection of new barriers and the drawing of new borders, while others, such as the one that has divided the island of Cyprus for over fifty years and the one that divided the Korean peninsula for over seventy years, remain firmly in place, separating families and dividing homes and cities.
These modern borders presume to be lines of identity demarcation, where diversity becomes a reason for mistrust, suspicion and fear: “Whatever comes from there cannot be trusted, because it is unknown, unfamiliar, not part of the village…
As a result, new walls of self-preservation are erected, the outside world ceases to exist and leaves only ‘my’ world, to the point where others, no longer considered human beings with an inalienable dignity, become just ‘them’.”
Ironically, the word “border” (“ confine”) does not mean a place that separates, but one that unites,
(cumfinis), where one can meet others, get to know them and enter into dialogue with them.
My prayerful hope for this New Year is that the Jubilee will be an opportunity for everyone, Christian and non-Christian alike, to rethink the relationships that bind us together as human beings and as political communities.
But also to overcome the logic of confrontation and embrace instead the logic of encounter; so that the future does not find us hopelessly adrift, but presses forward as pilgrims of hope, individuals and communities on the move, committed to building a future of peace.
Moreover, in the face of the ever more real threat of a world war, the vocation of diplomacy is to foster promote dialogue with all parties, including those interlocutors considered less “convenient” or without legitimized to negotiate.
Only in this way is it possible to break the chains of hatred and revenge that bind and to defuse the explosive power of human selfishness, pride and arrogance, which are the root of every destructive determination to wage war.
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
In the light of these brief reflections, I would like to trace with you this morning, starting from the words of the prophet Isaiah, some features of a diplomacy of hope, of which us are all called to be heralds, so that the thick clouds of war may be swept away by renewed winds of peace.
More generally, I would like to highlight some of the responsibilities that every political leader should bear in mind in the exercise of his or her duties, which should be directed towards the pursuit of the common good and the integral development of the human person.
Bringing good news to the oppressed
In every time and place, human beings have always been attracted by the idea that they can be sufficient for themselves and the architects of their own destiny.
Whenever we allow ourselves to be dominated by such presumption, we are forced by external events and circumstances to realize that we are weak and powerless, poor and needy, subject to spiritual and material adversity.
In a word, we discover our misery and our need for someone to save us from it.
The misery of our time is great.
More than ever before, mankind has experienced progress, development and prosperity, nut perhaps never before has mankind felt itself so lonely and lost, sometimes preferring pets to children.
There is an urgent need to hear good news.
Glad tidings that, from a Christian point of view, God offers us on Christmas night!
Nevertheless, everyone – even non-believers – can become bearer of a message of hope and truth.
Human beings are endowed with an innate thirst for truth.
This is a fundamental aspect of our humanity, for deep within every human being is a longing for objective truth and an irrepressible desire for knowledge.
While this has always been the case, in our time the denial of self-evident truths seems to have gained the upper hand.
Some distrust rational argument, believing it to be a tool in the hands of an unseen power, while others believe they have an unquestionable truth of their own making and are therefore exempt from discussion and dialogue with those who think differently.
Others tend to invent their own “truth”, ignoring the objectivity of reality.
These tendencies can be reinforced by modern communication media and artificial intelligence; they can be misused to manipulate minds for economic, political and ideological purposes,
Modern scientific progress, especially in the field of information and communication technology, has brought undeniable benefits to humanity.
It has allowed us to simplify many aspects of our daily lives, to stay in touch with loved ones even when they are far away, to stay informed and to increase our knowledge.
At the same time, its limitations and dangers cannot be overlooked, as it often contributes to polarisation, a narrowing of intellectual perspectives, a simplification of reality, abuse, anxiety and, ironically, isolation, particularly through the use of social media and online games.
The growth of artificial intelligence raises wider concerns about intellectual property rights, job security for millions of people, the need to respect privacy and protect the environment from e-waste. Hardly any corner of our world has been left untouched by the far-reaching cultural changes brought about by the rapid advances in technology, whose alignment with commercial interests is increasingly evident, creating a culture rooted in consumerism.
This imbalance threatens to undermine the order of values inherent in the creation of relationships, education and the transmission of social mores, while parents, close relatives and educators must remain the main channels for the transmission of culture, for which governments should confine themselves to supporting them in their educational responsibilities.
This is where we see the importance of media literacy education, which aims to provide the essential tools needed to develop critical thinking skills and to equip young people with the necessary means for their personal growth and active participation in the future of their societies.
A diplomacy of hope is therefore, above all, a diplomacy of truth.
If the link between reality, truth and knowledge is lost, human beings will no longer be able to speak to each other and understand each other, because they will lack the foundations of a common language, anchored in the reality of things and therefore universally understandable..
The purpose of language is communication, which can only be successful if words are precise and the meaning of terms is generally accepted.
The biblical story of the Tower of Babel shows what happens when everyone speaks only in their “own” language. Communication, dialogue and commitment to the common good therefore require good faith and adherence to a common language.
This is particularly true in the diplomatic sphere, especially in multilateral contexts.
The impact and success of all statements, declarations, resolutions and, more generally, negotiated texts depend on it.
It is a proven fact that multilateralism is strong and effective only when it focuses on the issues at hand and uses simple, clear and agreed language.
The attempt to manipulate multilateral documents – by changing the meaning of terms or unilaterally reinterpreting the content of human rights treaties – in order to promote divisive ideologies that trample on the values and beliefs of peoples is therefore particularly worrying.
It is a form of genuine ideological colonization that seeks to uproot the traditions, history and religious bonds of peoples according to carefully planned agendas.
It is a mentality that, by claiming to leave behind what it calls “the dark pages of history”, opens the door to the “culture of erasure”.
It does not tolerate differences and focuses on individual rights to the detriment of duties towards others, especially the weakest and most vulnerable.
In this regard, it is unacceptable, for example, to speak of an alleged “right to abortion” that contradicts human rights, especially the right to life.
All life must be protected, at every moment, from conception to natural death, because no child is a mistake or guilty of existing, just as no elderly or sick person must be deprived of hope and discarded.
This approach is particularly relevant in the context of the different multilateral bodies.
I think in particular of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, of which the Holy See is a founding member, having taken an active part in the negotiations that, half a century ago, led to the Declaration of Helsinki of 1975.
It is more urgent than ever to recover the “spirit of Helsinki”, with which opposing states, considered “enemies”’, succeeded in creating a space of encounter and did not abandon dialogue as a means of resolving conflicts.
Yet the multilateral institutions, most of which were created at the end of the Second World War some eighty years ago, no longer seem able to guarantee peace and stability, or to continue the fight against hunger and promote the development for which they were created.
Nor do they seem capable of responding effectively to the new challenges of the twenty-first century, such as environmental, public health, cultural and social issues, not to mention the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.
Many of them are in need of reform, bearing in mind that any such reform must be based on the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity and respect for the equal sovereignty of States.
Unfortunately, there is a risk of “monadology” and fragmentation into like-minded clubs that only admit those who think like them.
Nevertheless, there have been and continue to be encouraging signs, wherever there is the good will to come together.
I am thinking of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Chile and Argentina, signed in Vatican City on 29 November 1984, which, with the mediation of the Holy See and the goodwill of the parties, put an end to the Beagle Channel dispute.
It showed that peace and friendship are possible when two members of the international community renounce the use of force and solemnly commit themselves to respect all the rules of international law and to promote bilateral cooperation.
More recently, I am thinking of the positive signs of a resumption of negotiations to return to the framework of the Iran nuclear deal, with the aim of ensuring a safer world for all.
Binding up the broken-hearted
A diplomacy of hope is also a diplomacy of forgiveness, capable, in a time of open or latent conflict, of repairing relationships torn by hatred and violence, and thus of caring for the broken hearts of their all too numerous victims.
My wish for the year 2025 is that the entire international community will work above all to end the conflict that has caused so much bloodshed in war-torn Ukraine for almost three years now, and which has taken an enormous toll in human lives, including many civilians.
There are some encouraging signs on the horizon, but much remains to be done to create the conditions for a just and lasting peace and to heal the wounds inflicted by the aggression.
I also renew my appeal for a ceasefire and the release of the Israeli hostages in Gaza, where there is a very serious and shameful humanitarian situation, and I ask that the Palestinian population receive all the aid it needs.
My prayerful hope is that Israelis and Palestinians can rebuild the bridges of dialogue and mutual trust, starting with the smallest, so that future generations can live side by side in the two States, in peace and security, and so that Jerusalem can be the “city of encounter” where Christians, Jews and Muslims live together in harmony and respect.
Just last June, in the Vatican Gardens, we commemorated the tenth anniversary of the Invocation for Peace in the Holy Land, which took place on 8 June 2014 in the presence of the then President of the State of Israel, Shimon Peres, and the President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, together with Patriarch Bartholomew I. That meeting witnessed to the fact that Christians, Jews, Christians and Muslims can live together in peace and security. This meeting showed that dialogue is always possible and that we cannot give in to the idea that enmity and hatred between peoples will prevail.
At the same time, it must also be pointed out that war is fueled by the continued proliferation of ever more sophisticated and destructive weapons.
This morning, I reiterate my appeal that “with the money spent on arms and other military expenditures, let us create a global fund that can finally put an end to hunger and promote development in the most impoverished countries, so that their citizens do not have to resort to violent or illusory solutions or leave their countries in search of a more dignified life”.
War is always a failure!
The involvement of civilians, especially children, and the destruction of infrastructures is not only a disaster but essentially means that only evil emerges as the winner between the two sides.
We can in no way accept the bombing of civilians or the targeting of infrastructures necessary for their survival.
We cannot accept that children are freezing to death because hospitals have been ruined or a country’s power grid has been hit.
The entire international community seems to agree on the need to respect international humanitarian law, but its failure to implement this law fully and concretely raises questions.
If we have forgotten what is at the basis of our existence, the sanctity of life, the principles that move the world, how can we believe that this law is effectively respected?
We must recover these values and embody them in the commandments of the public conscience, so that the principle of humanity may truly be the basis of our action.
I therefore hope that this Jubilee Year will be an opportune moment for the international community to take active steps to ensure that inviolable human rights are not sacrificed to military needs.
On this basis, I ask that efforts continue to ensure that disregard for international humanitarian law can no longer be an option.
Greater efforts are also needed to ensure that the issues discussed at the 34th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, held in Geneva last October, are implemented. We have just commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, and it remains imperative that the norms and principles on which they are based are implemented in the all-too-many open theatres of war.
I am thinking of the various conflicts still raging on the African continent, particularly in Sudan, the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, Mozambique, where a serious political crisis is underway, and the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the population is suffering from serious health and humanitarian needs, sometimes aggravated by the scourge of terrorism, resulting in the loss of life and the displacement of millions of people.
Added to this are the devastating effects of floods and droughts, which are exacerbating already precarious conditions in various parts of Africa.
The prospect of a diplomacy of forgiveness, however, is not intended to heal international or regional conflicts alone. It makes everyone responsible for becoming a builder of peace, for building truly peaceful societies in which legitimate political, but also social, cultural, ethnic and religious differences are an asset rather than a source of hatred and division.
I am thinking in a particular way of Myanmar, where the population suffers greatly from the constant armed clashes that force people to flee their homes and live in fear.
It is also painful to see that, especially in the Americas, there are still various situations of heated political and social conflict.
I am thinking of Haiti, where I hope that the necessary steps can be taken as soon as possible to restore democratic order and put an end to the violence.
I am also thinking of Venezuela and the serious political crisis it is experiencing, which can only be overcome by sincere adherence to the values of truth, justice and freedom, by respect for the life, dignity and rights of every human being, including those arrested as a result of the events of recent months, by the rejection of any form of violence and, let us hope, by the opening of negotiations in good faith and for the common good of the country.
I am also thinking of Bolivia, which is experiencing a worrying political, social and economic situation, and of Colombia, where I hope that, with everyone’s help, an end can be put to the many conflicts that have torn the country apart for so long.
And finally, I am thinking of Nicaragua, where the Holy See, always open to respectful and constructive dialogue, is following with concern the measures taken against persons and institutions of the Church and asks that religious freedom and other fundamental rights be duly guaranteed for all.
Finally, there can be no true peace without the guarantee of religious freedom, which includes respect for the conscience of the individual and the possibility of publicly manifesting one’s faith and belonging to a community. In this regard, the growing manifestations of anti-Semitism, which I condemn in the strongest terms and which affect an increasing number of Jewish communities throughout the world, are a source of deep concern.
Nor can I remain silent about the numerous persecutions of various Christian communities, often perpetrated by terrorist groups, especially in Africa and Asia.
Nor can I remain silent about the more “discreet” forms of restriction of religious freedom that sometimes occur in Europe, where there is an increase in legal norms and administrative practices that “limit or even nullify the rights formally recognized by the Constitution for individual believers and religious groups”.
In this regard, I would like to reiterate that religious freedom is “an achievement of a sound political and juridical culture”, because when it is recognized, “the dignity of the human person is respected at its root and the ethos and institutions of peoples are strengthened”.
Christians are able and willing to contribute actively to the building up of the societies in which they live. Even where they are not a majority in society, they are citizens in their own right, especially in those countries where they have lived from time immemorial.
I am speaking in particular of Syria, which, after years of war and devastation, seems to be on the road to stability.
I hope that the territorial integrity, the unity of the Syrian people and the necessary constitutional reforms will not be jeopardized by anyone, and that the international community will help Syria to become a country of peaceful coexistence where all Syrians, including the Christian community, can feel that they are full citizens and can participate in the common good of this beloved nation.
I also think of beloved Lebanon and express my hope that the country, with the decisive help of its Christian community, will have the necessary institutional stability to face the grave economic and social situation, to rebuild the war-torn south of the country and to fully implement the Constitution and the Taif Agreement.
May all Lebanese work to ensure that the land of the great cedars is never disfigured by division but rather distinguished by “living together”.
May Lebanon remain a country and a message of coexistence and peace.
Proclaiming liberty to the captives
Two thousand years of Christianity have helped to eradicate slavery from all legal systems.
However, many forms of slavery still exist, starting with the seldom recognized but widely practiced form of slavery involving labor.
Too many people live as slaves to their work, which becomes a means to an end, often chained to inhumane working conditions in terms of safety, hours and pay.
Efforts must be made to create dignified working conditions so that work, which is noble and ennobling in itself does not become an obstacle to the fulfilment and growth of the human person.
At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that there are real job opportunities, especially where widespread unemployment encourages undeclared work and thus crime.
Then there is the terrible slavery of drug addiction, which affects young people in particular.
It is unacceptable to see the number of lives, families and countries ruined by this scourge, which seems to be on the increase, not least because of the advent of often lethal synthetic drugs, widely available as a result of the despicable phenomenon of drug trading.
Among other forms of slavery today, one of the most horrific is the trafficking of human beings by unscrupulous individuals who exploit the needs of thousands of people fleeing war, famine, persecution or the effects of climate change in search of a safe place to live.
A diplomacy of hope is a diplomacy of freedom, which calls for a shared commitment by the international community to eradicate this terrible trade.
At the same time, we must care for the victims of this trade, the migrants themselves, who are forced to walk thousands of kilometres in Central America or the Sahara, or to cross the Mediterranean or the English Channel in overcrowded makeshift boats, only to be turned away or forced to live clandestinely in a foreign country.
It is easy to forget that these are real people who should be welcomed, protected, supported and integrated.
I find it very disheartening to see that migration is still shrouded in a dark cloud of suspicion rather than being seen as a source of empowerment.
People on the move are simply seen as a problem to be managed.
They cannot be treated as objects to be moved; they have dignity and resources to offer others; they have their own experiences, needs, fears, aspirations, dreams, skills and talents.
It is only by looking at things in this way that progress can be made in tackling a phenomenon that requires the contribution of all countries, not least through the creation of safe, regular routes.
It is also crucial that we address the root causes of displacement, so that leaving one’s home to seek another is a choice and not a necessary means of survival.
In this regard, I believe that a shared commitment to development cooperation is essential to help address some of the root causes that lead people to migrate.
Release to prisoners
The diplomacy of hope is ultimately a diplomacy of justice, without which there can be no peace. The Jubilee is an opportune time to practice justice, to forgive debts and to commute the sentences of prisoners. But there is no debt that allows anyone, including the State, to demand the life of another. In this regard, I reiterate my call for the abolition of the death penalty in all nations, since it has no justification today among the means of restoring justice.Nor can we forget that in a certain sense we are all prisoners, for we are all debtors: to God, to others and also to our beloved earth from which we draw our daily sustenance. As I said in my annual message for the World Day of Peace, “each one of us must feel in some way responsible for the devastation to which the earth, our common home, has been subjected”.
Increasingly, nature itself seems to be rebelling against human action through extreme manifestations of its power. Examples of this are the devastating floods in central Europe and Spain, the cyclones that hit Madagascar in the spring and, just before Christmas, the French department of Mayotte and Mozambique.We cannot remain indifferent to all this! We do not have that right! On the contrary, we have a duty to make every effort to take care of our common home and its inhabitants, now and in the future.At COP 29 in Baku, decisions were taken to secure greater financial resources for climate action. I trust that these will enable resources to be shared with the many countries that are severely affected by the climate crisis and burdened by crippling economic debt. It is in this spirit that I ask the wealthier nations to forgive the debts of countries that will never be able to repay them. This is not just an act of solidarity or generosity, but above all an act of justice, also in the face of a new form of inequality that we are increasingly aware of today: the “ecological debt” that exists in particular between the global North and South. Also in the face of this ecological debt, it is important to find effective ways of transforming the foreign debt of poor countries into effective, creative and responsible policies and programmes for integral human development. The Holy See is ready to accompany this process, in the knowledge that there are no longer any borders or barriers, political or social, behind which we can hide. Before concluding, I would like to express my condolences and assure you of my prayers for the victims and those who are suffering as a result of the earthquake that struck Tibet two days ago.
Dear Ambassadors,
From the Christian point of view, the Jubilee is a time of grace.
How I wish that this year 2025 to be truly a year of grace, rich in truth, forgiveness, freedom, justice and peace!
“Hope dwells in the heart of every human being as a desire and expectation of good things to come!
and each of us is called to make hope flourish all around us.
This is my heartfelt wish for all of you, dear Ambassadors, for your families, and for the governments and peoples that you represent.
May hope flourish in our hearts and may our time find the peace for which our hearts so greatly long.
Thank you.
