Vatican City: In his first General Audience since the summer recess, Pope Leo XIV turned global attention to a historic milestone marking the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Accords, signed on August 1, 1975. Addressing pilgrims and faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, the Pontiff emphasized the enduring relevance of the Helsinki Final Act and called for its legacy of dialogue, cooperation, and diplomacy to be safeguarded in today's fractured geopolitical climate.
“Now, more than ever,” the Pope declared, “the 'spirit of Helsinki' must be preserved so that dialogue remains alive, cooperation is deepened, and diplomacy is embraced as the foremost means of resolving conflict.”
Recalling the tense Cold War backdrop of the original Helsinki Conference, Pope Leo highlighted how 35 nations seeking stability in a divided world came together to foster East-West engagement. The Accords, signed in 1975, became a turning point, cementing commitments to peace, mutual respect, and human rights.
He noted that the Holy See played a key role in those efforts, with then-Secretary of State Cardinal Agostino Casaroli representing the Vatican's moral and political voice at the conference. Particularly significant, the Pope said, was the Helsinki Accords’ focus on religious liberty a pillar of the broader human rights agenda that helped build bridges across ideological divides.
Pope Leo stressed that the message of Helsinki is not a relic of the past but a guide for the present. “In our current age of escalating tensions and fragmented diplomacy, it is vital that we draw from that same spirit to build a future anchored in peace, not polarization.”
With the world inching toward new geopolitical rifts, the Pope’s words serve as both a remembrance and a call to conscience: that the principles forged in Helsinki 50 years ago still hold the power to guide humanity toward unity and understanding.