Leo XIV Criticizes U.S., Russia After Venezuela Raid

Leo XIV delivered his strongest critique yet of U.S., Russian and other military interventions, saying the use of force to assert dominion is "completely undermining" peace and the post-World War II legal order.He explicitly urged a peaceful political solution in Venezuela after a U.S. nighttime raid seized Nicolás Maduro, and he noted that the Trump administration now seeks to control Venezuela's oil resources while calling drug cartels unlawful combatants.Speaking mostly in English to about 184 ambassadors to the Holy See, Leo warned "War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading," called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and a two-state solution for Gaza and the West Bank, and lamented the weakening of the UN and threats to religious freedom.