Pope rebukes Trump's 'dominion' over Venezuela: 'Gravely threatens the rule of law'

Pope Leo XIV condemned the use of force by world leaders like President Donald Trump after the U.S. carried out a military strike on Venezuela.

Just days following the invasion to capture President Nicolás Maduro, the pope released a statement on X without mentioning Trump by name.

"War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading," the Catholic leader wrote on Friday. "The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined."

"Peace is no longer sought as a gift and a desirable good in itself," he added. "Instead, peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one's own dominion. This gravely threatens the rule of law, which is the foundation of all peaceful civil coexistence."