Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, called on belligerents in the Russo-Ukrainian War to respect international humanitarian law.
Addressing the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on February 24, Archbishop Gallagher said that international humanitarian law “must always prevail over the ambitions of belligerents, in order to mitigate the devastating effects of war, also with a view to reconstruction.” (In doing so, Archbishop Gallagher quoted Pope Leo’s “state of the world” address.)
The prelate also said that the Holy See “stands ready to support any earnest diplomatic initiatives that place the human person and the alleviation of suffering at the heart of their efforts,” and that “those entrusted with the highest public responsibility must prioritize immediate humanitarian pauses alongside sustained diplomatic engagement.”