On September 29, 2025, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher delivered an address to the opening of the UN General Assembly’s 80th session. Speaking in the name of Pope Leo XIV, he framed the moment with a simple aim: Make peace possible — through justice and truth.
Here are five takeaways for believers and non-believers alike.
Peace is an active duty — disarm to save lives
Peace isn’t just the absence of war; it is “built in the heart,” then in families and nations. The Holy See urged states to redirect a slice of military spending toward a global fund to fight hunger, poverty, and climate harm, and pressed for real progress on disarmament — especially nuclear.
Eighty years after Hiroshima and the first nuclear test, keeping or modernizing such weapons is described as morally indefensible.
The appeal extends to honoring international humanitarian law: civilians, hospitals, schools, and worship sites are never legitimate targets.
As the Catechism puts it, “Respect for and development of human life require peace” (CCC 2304).
Freedom of religion — and the promise of Nostra Aetate at 60
Religious liberty was presented as a cornerstone of a peaceful society: not merely freedom from persecution but freedom to believe, worship, teach, and serve. The statement lamented mounting attacks on Christians while insisting these rights belong to all.
Christians across the world are subjected to severe persecution, including physical violence, imprisonment, forced displacement, and martyrdom. Over 360 million Christians live in areas where they experience high levels of persecution or discrimination, with attacks on churches, homes, and communities intensifying in recent years. Data show that Christians are the most persecuted group globally, yet the international community seems to be turning a blind eye to their plight.
Marking 60 years since Nostra Aetate, the Holy See called religions to deepen genuine dialogue — humble listening that resists political exploitation and turns differences into a shared search for the good.
Dignity first: life, work, and the family
Human dignity, inherent and non-negotiable, must guide policy. The Holy See reaffirmed the right to life “from conception to natural death,” opposing abortion and euthanasia, and criticized commercial surrogacy as harmful to women and children.
It should be clear that there is only a right to life, and that no opposite to this can ever exist, even if it is falsely flagged as freedom.
Work was described as a vocation that anchors dignity; just wages, safe conditions, and support for the unemployed are moral imperatives. Strengthening family life — especially helping young adults form families — was proposed as social infrastructure, not a private luxury.
Justice for the poor and our common home
Ending hunger and extreme poverty is a moral obligation. The address urged debt cancellation for countries that cannot repay — a matter of justice, especially given the “ecological debt” borne by the global South. Food systems must be sustainable and accessible; solidarity must partner with subsidiarity so local initiative can thrive. Climate action, technology sharing, and an education in a “culture of care” were framed as urgent, since environmental damage hits the poorest hardest.
Multilateralism that tells the truth — and serves peace now
The UN’s 80th marks both gratitude and reform. The Holy See asked states to renew the Charter’s first principles — human rights, peace and security, development, and the rule of law — while using clear, non-divisive language that doesn’t twist basic rights.
Concrete pleas followed: an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine; a just two-state solution for Israel and Palestine with full respect for humanitarian law; sustained engagement in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Haiti. On artificial intelligence, the call was for rules that keep technology at the service of the human person.
In a fractured world, this agenda is demanding yet practical: disarm, protect conscience, honor every life, free the poor to flourish, and make multilateralism honest again. Or, in one line: peace through truth and justice — starting with us.
Read the whole address here.
