Pope Leo XIV Vows Vatican Will Not Stay Silent on Global Human Rights Abuses in Address to New Ambassadors

December 7, 2025

43 5 minutes read

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Pope Leo XIV

By Thobeka Makume – In a powerful speech that highlights his growing voice on the world stage, Pope Leo XIV told a group of new ambassadors to the Holy See on Saturday, 6 December 2025, that the Vatican would not stand by quietly while human rights abuses continue around the globe. The American-born pontiff, who became the first US pope when he was elected in May 2025 after the death of Pope Francis, used the occasion to reaffirm the Church’s commitment to speaking out against injustice, inequality, and violations of basic rights in an increasingly divided world.
The address, delivered in the historic Clementine Hall at the Vatican, welcomed 13 new ambassadors from countries including Uzbekistan, Moldova, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Liberia, Thailand, Lesotho, South Africa, Fiji, Micronesia, Latvia, and Finland. It marks one of the clearest statements yet on Pope Leo’s guiding philosophy, which builds on the social justice focus of his predecessor while adding his own experiences from years of missionary work in Latin America.
As the spiritual leader of over 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, Pope Leo’s words carry weight not just in religious circles but in global diplomacy. The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church, maintains diplomatic relations with 183 countries and plays a key role in international issues like peacebuilding, poverty alleviation, and human rights advocacy. This latest speech underscores how the Vatican plans to use its influence to push for change in a time of rising conflicts and divisions.
A Strong Stance Against Injustices and Human Rights Violations
During the audience, Pope Leo made it clear that silence is not an option for the Church. “I wish to reaffirm that the Holy See will not be a silent bystander to the grave disparities, injustices and fundamental human rights violations in our global community, which is increasingly more fractured and conflict-prone,” he said. These words echo the Vatican’s long history of speaking out on global issues, from wars and poverty to environmental concerns and migration.
The pontiff explained that the Holy See’s diplomacy is always aimed at serving humanity’s greater good. “The diplomacy of the Holy See… is consistently directed toward serving the good of humanity, especially by appealing to consciences and by remaining attentive to the voices of those who are poor, in vulnerable situations or pushed to the margins of society,” he added. This approach, he noted, involves listening to the most overlooked people and using moral authority to challenge leaders and societies to do better.
Experts say this reflects the Vatican’s unique position as a moral force rather than a political power. Unlike governments, the Holy See does not have armies or economic leverage, but it influences through dialogue, mediation, and calls to conscience. Over the years, popes have used this role to broker peace deals, like in Mozambique in the 1990s, and to advocate for debt relief for poor nations during the Jubilee Year 2000 under Pope John Paul II. Pope Leo’s emphasis on not being a “silent bystander” suggests he intends to continue and perhaps intensify this tradition, especially amid ongoing global crises like the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, climate change impacts, and rising inequality.
Building on Pope Francis’s Legacy of Championing the Vulnerable
Pope Leo’s focus on inequality and the marginalised directly builds on the work of Pope Francis, who served from 2013 until his death in early 2025. Francis was known worldwide for his strong defence of migrants, refugees, and the poor, often criticising wealthy nations for their treatment of the vulnerable. During his papacy, he made headlines with gestures like washing the feet of refugees and calling for a “poor Church for the poor.”
Leo, who shares a similar passion for social justice, has already shown he will carry this torch forward. Just last month, he spoke out against the handling of migrants in the United States under former President Donald Trump, describing it as “extremely disrespectful.” This criticism aligns with the Vatican’s longstanding view that migration policies must respect human dignity, a theme Francis often highlighted in his encyclical “Fratelli Tutti” (All Brothers), which called for global solidarity and an end to exclusion.
What sets Pope Leo apart is his personal background. Before becoming pope, he spent nearly 20 years as a missionary in Peru, working among indigenous communities and the poor in remote areas. This hands-on experience with poverty and injustice in Latin America has shaped his worldview, much like Francis’s roots in Argentina influenced his papacy. In Peru, Leo witnessed firsthand the effects of economic inequality, environmental degradation from mining, and the struggles of marginalised groups—issues he now brings to the global stage. His election as the first American pope also brings a fresh perspective, potentially strengthening ties between the Vatican and the US, home to about 70 million Catholics.
Welcoming New Ambassadors: A Key Moment in Vatican Diplomacy
The ceremony on Saturday was more than just a speech—it was a formal welcome for the new diplomats, marking the start of their roles in representing their countries at the Vatican. The Holy See’s diplomatic network is one of the oldest in the world, dating back centuries, and it focuses on promoting peace, human rights, and interfaith dialogue.
Among the new ambassadors was South Africa’s representative, adding a local angle for readers here. South Africa and the Vatican have strong ties, with the Church playing a big role in the anti-apartheid struggle. Figures like Archbishop Desmond Tutu worked closely with Vatican leaders on human rights issues. Pope Leo’s message resonates in South Africa, where inequality remains a major challenge despite progress since 1994. The country’s Gini coefficient, a measure of income inequality, is among the highest globally at around 0.63, highlighting the “grave disparities” the pope mentioned.
Other countries represented, like Pakistan and Bahrain, face their own human rights concerns, such as religious freedoms and migrant worker rights, which the Vatican has addressed in the past. By speaking directly to these ambassadors, Pope Leo is signalling that the Church will keep pushing for improvements through quiet diplomacy and public calls.
Pope Leo’s Emerging Vision for a Fractured World
Since his election in May 2025, Pope Leo XIV has quickly made his mark. At 68, he is seen as a bridge-builder, blending traditional Catholic teachings with modern calls for justice. His name choice—Leo, after popes known for social reforms like Leo XIII, who wrote on workers’ rights in the 1891 encyclical “Rerum Novarum”—hints at his focus on economic justice.

Pope Leo XIV

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