Shafaqna English– This week, Pope Leo rejected a long-standing Catholic doctrine dating back to at least the fifth century that was used to determine when nations are justified in going to war. Experts believe this decision could have significant long-term consequences for world powers.
The pope’s rejection of the doctrine appeared in his first major document, released on Monday(25 May 2026). In the same text, he called for global oversight of artificial intelligence and issued the strongest apology to date for the Catholic Church’s historical involvement in supporting transatlantic slavery.
In his encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), Leo stated that the “just war” theory, which has frequently been exploited to legitimize virtually any conflict, is now obsolete.
According to him, far more effective and capable tools—such as dialogue, diplomacy, and forgiveness—are available to humanity for promoting human life and resolving conflicts.
Source: Reuters