Nevertheless, some reports in the U.S. assumed that his references to “masters of war” and “tyrants” were directed specifically (or even "exclusively") against the American President; the assumption was part of the effort to frame a narrative of political struggle between the two (Anglo) American “leaders.” But Leo had already stated that he did not wish to engage in a “foreign policy” debate with U.S. politicians. Rather, he was preaching the Gospel of peace and calling for “conversion” from the sinful destructiveness of waging war for the purposes of increasing the presumption of power and irresponsible amassing of material wealth (and, of course, this perspective applies to all those who fight such wars, wherever they may be). The causes, motives, and results of indulging the “love of war” are fundamentally the same all over the world. What Pope Leo stressed in a particular way in Cameroon, however, was the exemplary witness and work for peace that people there are taking up. It represents a movement of genuine “conversion” to the fraternal love that the Lord wants for all of humanity, and which He makes possible in the heart of Christ.
"The crisis impacting these regions of Cameroon has brought Christian and Muslim communities closer than ever before. Indeed, your religious leaders have come together to establish a Movement for Peace, through which they seek to mediate between the opposing sides.
"I wish this would happen in so many other places of the world. Your witness, your work for peace can be a model for the whole world! Jesus told us: Blessed are the peacemakers! But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth. Yes, my dear sisters and brothers, you who hunger and thirst for justice, who are poor, merciful, meek, and pure of heart, you who have wept — you are the light of the world! (cf. Matthew 5:3-14)...
"The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet a lifetime is often not enough to rebuild. They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found. Those who rob your land of its resources generally invest much of the profit in weapons, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilization and death. It is a world turned upside down, an exploitation of God’s creation that must be denounced and rejected by every honest conscience.
We must make a decisive change of course — a true conversion — that will lead us in the opposite direction, onto a sustainable path rich in human fraternity. The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters! They are the descendants of Abraham, as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore. Let us look into each other’s eyes: we are this immense people! Peace is not something we must invent: it is something we must embrace by accepting our neighbor as our brother and as our sister. We do not choose our brothers and sisters: we simply must accept one another! We are one family, inhabiting the same home: this wonderful planet that ancient cultures have cared for across millennia."
~Leo XIV (Bamenda, Cameroon, April 16, 2026)
