Pope Leo warns that 'future of humanity is at stake' amid Ukraine and Gaza conflicts
Pope Leo has stressed that the "future of humanity is at stake" as conflicts continue to rage in both Ukraine and Gaza - as he visits Turkey on his first trip abroad as pontiff.
Pope Leo has warned that the "future of humanity is at stake" amid wars around the globe.
The 70-year-old pontiff is visiting Turkey on his first trip abroad as the head of the Catholic Church and expressed concern that the world is being destabilised by "ambitions and choices that trample on justice and peace".
After meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Thursday (27.11.25), the Pope said: "We must in no way give in to this. The future of humanity is at stake."
Pope Leo did not directly refer to the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza but was thought to be addressing them and Erdogan, who has offered to assist with peace negotiations in both wars, praised the pontiff's message.
The politician said: "We commend (the Pope's) astute stance on the Palestinian issue. Our debt to the Palestinian people is justice, and the foundation of this is to immediately implement the vision of a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders. Similarly, preserving the historic status of Jerusalem is crucial."
Pope Leo previously waded into current affairs as he expressed alarm at Tesla chief Elon Musk becoming a trillionaire.
He feels that the world is forgetting "the value of human life, of the family, and the value of society" and stated that the ever-widening gap between the rich and poor is a key cause of this.
In his first interview since being elected as pontiff in May - published on the website Crux in September - the Pope said: "For example, CEOs that 60 years ago might have been making four to six times more than what the workers are receiving, the last figure I saw, it's 600 times more than what average workers are receiving."
Revealing how he heard that "Elon Musk is going to be the first trillioniare in the world", Pope Leo added: "What does that mean and what's that about? If that is the only thing that has value any more, then we're in big trouble."
The Pope also explained that he has "a huge learning curve ahead" as he settles into life at the Vatican following the passing of his predecessor Pope Francis in April.
He said: "The totally new aspect to the job is being thrown onto the level of world leader.
"It's very public, people know the phone conversations or meetings I've had with the heads of state of a number of different governments, countries around the world, in a time when the voice of the church has a significant role to play."
