Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV on Saturday delivered a strong appeal for justice-centred politics and social responsibility, warning that lasting peace cannot be achieved as long as humanity turns against its own members by excluding the vulnerable and denying life its dignity.
Addressing young participants at the Political Innovation Hackathon: One Humanity, One Planet Conference, the Pope said true peace remains out of reach when societies discard the weak, marginalize the poor, or remain indifferent to refugees and the oppressed. He cautioned that public policy loses its moral foundation when it fails to defend life from its earliest stages or neglects those suffering material and spiritual hardship.
Welcoming the young delegates, Pope Leo expressed joy at meeting a generation committed to the common good through political and civic engagement. He noted with appreciation that the participants came from a wide range of countries, cultures, and religious traditions, and praised them for transforming diversity into a source of cooperation rather than division. This openness, he said, reflects a synodal spirit that encourages shared growth and collective responsibility.
The Pope thanked the participants for their initiatives, highlighting in particular the “Four Dreams” project promoted by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and inspired by Pope Francis. Recalling Querida Amazonia, the late Pope’s Apostolic Exhortation, Pope Leo underlined the urgent need to pursue dreams of ecclesial, ecological, social, and cultural renewal in a world scarred by injustice, violence, and war.
Turning to the role of leadership, Pope Leo reminded the young innovators that peacebuilding begins in everyday settings in universities, workplaces, and local communities. He posed a challenging question: if harmony cannot be cultivated in small environments or among civic and political groups, how can peace be expected on a national or global scale?
Peace, he said, is both a divine gift and a shared responsibility. It binds people together and calls them to protect it where it exists and to actively seek it where it is absent. Politics, the Pope stressed, has an essential role in nurturing this hope for a better world, shared by all people of goodwill.
Emphasizing the importance of inclusive citizenship, Pope Leo encouraged the young leaders to explore forms of political participation that allow all citizens women and men alike to engage fully in the institutional life of their nations. On such foundations, he said, a universal sense of fraternity can grow, already visible among young people and pointing toward a new era of solidarity.
Quoting Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate known for her service to the poorest, Pope Leo recalled her 1994 warning that abortion is among the greatest threats to peace. He described her words as still prophetic today, insisting that no policy can truly serve society if it denies the unborn the right to life or abandons those in need of care and compassion.
Despite the gravity of the challenges facing the world, the Pope urged the participants not to lose heart. He reminded them that they are not alone in striving for universal fraternity, as God has entrusted the earth to humanity as a shared home for all peoples. Reflecting on the conference theme, One Humanity, One Planet, Pope Leo said it finds its deepest meaning when completed by the recognition of One God.
He concluded by inviting participants of all faith traditions to acknowledge God as a loving Creator and to contribute, each in their own way, to the common good. The Pope ended his address by imparting his Apostolic Blessing, encouraging the young leaders to continue working for peace rooted in justice and respect for human dignity.