Pope Warns World Being 'Ravaged by Handful of Tyrants'

COLOMBO (News 1st); Pope Leo XIV has issued a strong moral warning against the manipulation of religion for military, economic, or political purposes, condemning what he described as the distortion of the sacred for destructive ends.

Referencing the teachings of Jesus, the Pope said, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” while warning of grave consequences for those who exploit religion and the very name of God for personal or strategic gain.

He said such actions drag what is sacred “into darkness and filth.”

The Pope criticized what he called the “masters of war,” saying they pretend not to understand how easily destruction can occur, while ignoring the reality that rebuilding often requires far more than a lifetime.

He pointed to the vast sums of money spent globally on killing and devastation, contrasting this with the lack of resources allocated to healing, education, and restoration.

He further warned that those who strip nations of their natural resources frequently invest the profits in weapons, sustaining what he described as an endless cycle of destabilization and death.

Pope Leo XIV said this represents a world “turned upside down” and an exploitation of God’s creation that must be denounced and rejected by all people acting in good conscience.

Calling for a decisive change in direction, he urged what he described as a true conversion,one that leads humanity away from violence and toward a sustainable path rooted in human fraternity.

He cautioned that while the world is being ravaged by a small number of tyrants, it continues to be held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters.