Pope to ROACO: Church Builds Future; War Destroys the Present

Vatican, June 19, 2026: Pope Leo XIV met participants of the plenary session of the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches (ROACO) on Thursday.

In his address, the Pope appreciated the meeting’s emphasis on supporting the formation of priests and monks in Eastern seminaries.

He said the Eastern Catholic Churches possess immense spiritual riches to share with the universal Church and stressed that the formation of ministers remains vital for the Church’s growth.

“Our Mother, the Church, is therefore united, yet not uniform,” said the Pope. “Her fertile womb has given birth to various spiritual and theological traditions, as well as different rites and disciplines, which enrich one another.”

He added that the Eastern Churches guide Catholics back to the roots of the faith, as their liturgies allow the light of grace to shine forth.

At the same time, he said the Christian East can only be preserved if it is properly understood, which requires investment in formation. He expressed support for ROACO’s decision to assist in funding the training of future priests and deacons.

“This bond between knowledge and charity, between open minds and working hands, also requires, however, a spiritual dimension: a heart that is not only generous, but also filled with grace and set ablaze by the Holy Spirit,” he said.

The Pope then reflected on the heavy burden of war and instability caused by “so many who foment wars.”

“While you generate life, they sow death,” he said. “While you reach out to your brother, they seek enemies to crush; while you create dialogue, they seek monologues; while you open paths of hope, they lock people into fear; while you build the future, they destroy the present.”

He said this contrast reveals how resources are directed towards helping those in need, while others are wasted on destruction and killing.

The Pope also recalled the “painful exodus of Eastern Christians from their own lands, caused above all by war,” noting that such conflicts continue to create tragedies often forgotten by the world.

“There is a plague, a scourge born of war, which I would like to speak about today, one that continues to drain the life blood of the Eastern Churches in particular,” he said. “I define it with a single word: instability.”

Even after wars end, he observed, societies continue to bear the scars of the past through the presence of armed groups, weakened institutions, and manipulative outside influences.

“Such a system does not act freely, but instead navigates a maze of subterfuge, secret agreements and partisan interests,” he said. “As a result, a perpetual cycle of instability is created, stifling opportunities for development and always falling hardest on the poorest.”

Pope Leo further said that such conditions leave people trapped in insecure employment situations, affecting ordinary families and young people the most.

Finally, the Pope urged everyone to reflect on the far-reaching consequences of war and instability, including the way violence often turns against those who carry it out.

“Let us pray to Jesus, the Lord of peace,” he said, “and appeal to people’s consciences so that they may be moved by indignation; and may respect for humanity and a proper sense of civility be restored!”

Courtesy: Vatican News