Staff Reports
Pope Leo XIV’s videotaped message to the Assisi gathering landed like a sermon and a challenge — and it has conservatives and many faithful asking what comes next. In a plain, repeated line the Pope declared, “There is no such thing as a holy war: only peace is holy.” That phrase matters because it comes at a time when religion is being used, in many places, to bless violence and political conquest.
What the Pope said at Assisi
The Pope sent his remarks to Sant’Egidio’s “Unarmed and Disarming Peace” meeting in Assisi while he recovers from surgery. His message was short and direct: “There is no such thing as a holy war” and “War can never be waged in the name of God.” He framed the comments as part of a broader plea against the revival of war as an instrument of international politics and tied them to his encyclical on human dignity. The Vatican also reported that the Holy See has been pressing for humanitarian pauses in actual battle zones, including phone outreach to world leaders to protect civilians.
Why many conservatives and believers are uneasy
On the face of it, the sentiment is noble. Peace is a Christian ideal. But words mean things. A blanket dismissal of any “holy” motivation for war can look like absolution for inaction when Christians or other innocent people are being terrorized. Some religious authorities — most notably elements aligned with the Moscow Patriarchate — have been wrapping state aggression in sacral language. At the same time, violent, radical movements in various parts of the world have attacked Christians and other minorities. Saying “only peace is holy” without explaining how the Church or the West will defend the innocent opens the door for critics who want moral clarity and practical protection.
Just war, holy war, and the difference that matters
Catholic teaching has long distinguished between “holy war” rhetoric and the Church’s just-war tradition. The Pope’s message echoes a modern insistence that religion should not be a pretext for conquest. But the faithful also expect leaders to recognize when force is morally necessary to stop slaughter or to rescue the defenseless. Rejecting the phrase “holy war” should not become a cover for refusing to defend the innocent. If the Church signals it will only preach and never protect, it abandons a long moral framework that balances peace and legitimate defense.
What should follow the words?
Rhetoric alone won’t keep churches and communities safe. If the Vatican truly believes “only peace is holy,” that claim must be backed by clear policy: stronger protection for persecuted Christians, consistent diplomacy that insists on humanitarian access, and support for allies who defend themselves against aggression. The Pope’s outreach to leaders in conflict zones is a start. But moral statements should not mask moral passivity. The faithful deserve both spiritual leadership and a Church that defends human dignity in deeds, not only in slogans.
Conclusion
“Only peace is holy” is a memorable line and a high ideal. Conservatives who value both faith and security should welcome the call for peace while insisting the Church and the West be ready to defend the innocent. Peace that is merely a passive watch as evil spreads is not holiness — it is surrender. If the Vatican really means to protect human dignity, words must be followed by action. Otherwise, pious slogans will be remembered long after the faithful find themselves undefended.
