Pope Francis on Thursday called for global dialogue with the view to preventing world war.
This is as he expressed concern about the increasingly concrete threat of a world war at a New Year’s reception for foreign ambassadors.
The Catholic Pontiff called on diplomats to engage in dialogue, even with difficult interlocutors.
According to him, dialogue is the only way to break the chains of hatred and vengeance that bind and to defuse the explosive power of human selfishness, pride and arrogance, which is the root of every destructive determination to wage war.
The head of the Catholic Church said his wish for 2025 was for the war in Ukraine to end, and repeated his appeal for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict.
The 88-year-old pontiff also warned of the dangers of the spread of fake news, which not only distorts facts but also perceptions.
“This phenomenon generates false images of reality, a climate of suspicion that foments hate, undermines people’s sense of security and compromises civil coexistence and the stability of entire nations,” he said.
DAILY POST reports that since 2013, Pope Francis has been the leader not only of some 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide but also the head of the Vatican City State.
Vatican City, which is the smallest state in the world maintains diplomatic relations with 184 countries.