Opinion: Time to heed the Pope’s call for diplomacy for peace
Opinion by
Journalist
and diplomat Elizabeth "Liz" Colton, of Asheville, is an author,
diplomat, educator and Emmy Award winning journalist, who teaches
diplomacy and the media worldwide for UNITAR and partner international
universities’ global courses. © Special to the Citizen-Times
Surprised, I felt a powerfully positive jolt of energy from the handshake of this stranger, another new personage on the world-news stage. I was among the international media crowd covering the papal transition, all welcomed, regardless of faith, inside the Vatican in October 1978 to cover this press conference requested by the man just named to be installed soon as Pope.
All sensed the white-smoke signaled choice of little-known Cardinal Karol Wojtyla from Poland indicated wishful hopes he might become a world leader to use his country of origin to influence a peaceful end to Eastern Europe’s and the USSR’s decades of communist rule. The world later witnessed the fall of communism during Pope John Paul II’s papacy.
Now in 2026, a new Pope Leo XIV is also jolting the world with his exuding energy as he quietly speaks out, preaching peace opposed to war, specifically urging diplomacy. Notably, he was also chosen at a time, a year ago, signifying hope he would serve as a world leader countering destructive actions of leaders in his own native country — the United States — and other nations.
“Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace,” the Pope urged in his “Urbi et Orbi” — “to the City and the World” message on Easter Sunday.
Diplomacy describes the human activities he’s advocating as means to achieve peace.
“Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue. Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them,” Pope Leo, then explaining, continues repeating. These are the ways of diplomacy.
Later that week he began speaking directly of “diplomacy” as some international diplomatic negotiations began.
“I urge everyone to accompany this moment of delicate diplomacy with prayers, in hopes that a willingness to dialogue may become the means to resolve other conflict situations in the world as well,” he said.
Now traveling as “apostle of peace” and “messenger of peace” in Africa, this religious world leader, a Christian, launched his mission in the predominantly Muslim nation of Algeria with the symbolism of speaking the Arabic greeting of peace, “As-Salam Alaykum,” the universally traditional “Peace be with you.”
It’s time to heed Pope Leo XIV’s words, regardless of anyone’s religion. We can hear his voice as distinct from the crude cacophony of louder leaders’ bellicose threats. His pleas are for the global audience, not just for fellow religious.
“A diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies. War is back in vogue, and a zeal for war is spreading,” instead he urged diplomacy in January when he welcomed to the Vatican the diplomatic corps, all the chief diplomats, envoys, ambassadors, currently accredited to that sovereign state.
Some global leaders and commentators on world affairs dismiss the Pope’s statements as reflecting failure to understand how the world of power works, how “realpolitik” operates, that diplomacy may not be the realistic way to run things. He perseveres.
In my own teaching of diplomacy worldwide these days, I tell my students (of all ages, nationalities, diplomatic and other career fields) my bias is for diplomacy’s role to achieve peace. I acknowledge that there are a variety of definitions of diplomacy. Yet the definition I use is: diplomacy is generally defined as activity aimed to build peaceful relations among groups of people, to bridge, ideally resolve conflicts, to work for peace.
The Pope is urging this “diplomacy” not just for official diplomats but for all levels of society, for “everyone” to contribute to bringing “peace to humanity” through encouraging “respectful relationships among individuals, families, social groups, and nations.” This is what’s often described as “citizen diplomacy,” or what I’ve called “glocal” diplomacy.
In the Pope’s Easter words and throughout his public speaking everywhere, he reminds audiences that working for peace is not just for leaders and diplomats, but for all people.
In his message to the world, as wartime weapons continue destroying peoples in many countries, Pope Leo XIV states explicitly, “And we cannot resign ourselves to evil.”
To counter evil, trending war, we must call for peace through diplomatic actions. Now we need to heed this Pope’s surge of positive energy urging diplomacy for world peace.
Elizabeth “Liz” Colton, an author, diplomat, educator, and Emmy Award winning journalist covering wars and diplomacy, currently teaches diplomacy and strategic communications/media for UNITAR and partner international universities’ global courses.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Opinion: Time to heed the Pope’s call for diplomacy for peace