Pope Leo warns that UN risks becoming a ‘charade’
This year's UN General Assembly, ending on Monday, has been the scene of heated argument.
Pope Leo warned on Friday that the United Nations and other multilateral groups were facing a crisis, stating in a speech at UNESCO's Paris headquarters that international dialogue was risking becoming a "charade". The first US pope, on a visit to France amidst a tense UN General Assembly in New York, criticized world leaders for disrespecting the rule of law without naming individuals.
Pope Leo lamented that "instead of respecting the law, those in power invoke it when it serves their interests and disregard it when it restrains them, treating even justice itself as though it were a commodity to be bought and sold." He noted that the UN and other multilateral groups were experiencing a "crisis of effectiveness" and that "dialogue is seen as an obstacle to action rather than a resource for peace, a charade rather than an opportunity to seek the common good together."
The pontiff's remarks came as a response to heated arguments at the UN General Assembly and US President Donald Trump's threat to annihilate Iran if it didn't agree to end the war. In 2025, Trump announced that the US would withdraw from UNESCO. Pope Leo is currently on a four-day, three-city visit to France, aiming to mend the Church's image following abuse scandals that shocked the nation.
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