Pope Leo XIV on Monday called global peace a "true moral imperative" and said weapons could only lead to a "temporary silence" not a "genuine and lasting peace".
"Peace emerges as a political aspiration and, even more so, as a true moral imperative," he said in a speech to the Spanish parliament, calling for "patient dialogue" instead of rearmament in Europe and beyond.
"Weapons may impose a temporary silence but they can never build a genuine and lasting peace," he said.
He said that escalating conflicts and polarization were pushing the world into a "profound spiritual and cultural crisis".
He also firmly reiterated his opposition to increased European military spending - calling it "troubling" - and urged help for the world's migrants.
