Archbishop Gallagher: 'War is not worthy of the human person'

By Vatican News staff reporter

"It is urgent today to promote an authentic culture of peace, based on the promotion of dialogue in compliance with international law, which can ensure the peaceful coexistence of peoples."

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, strongly reaffirmed this point as he spoke on Friday at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Rome.

The Secretary for Relations with States and the International Organizations, was invited by the Korean Ambassador to the Holy See, H.E. Choo Kyo Ho, for the National Foundation Day, which is marked on 3 October.   

War is a totally unsuitable tool for resolving international conflicts

In his address, Archbishop Gallagher referred to the current geopolitical situation marked by the war in Ukraine and other armed conflicts threatening world peace.

He stressed that war is to be considered "a totally unsuitable tool for resolving international conflicts, as it is not worthy of the human person and his natural vocation to peace.”

Citing the late Cardinal Agostino Casaroli (Vatican Secretary of State from 1979 to 1990), Archbishop Gallagher stated that when "dark clouds gather on the horizon", the Holy See can "only call for diplomatic actors to reflect seriously and act vigorously.”

He also reaffirmed Pope Francis' words during his recent Apostolic Journey to Kazakhstan, when the Holy Father remarked that peace "springs from fraternity, grows through the fight against injustice and inequality, is built by reaching out to others."

Regarding the Republic of Korea, Archbishop Gallagher stressed that, since its foundation in 1948, it has been committed "to promoting freedom and democracy, based on respect for human dignity and care for the well-being of its people."

Diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea

Referring to the diplomatic relations between the Repubblic of Korea and the Holy See, Archbishop Gallagher recalled the religious, cultural and personal contacts which led to their establishment in 1963, and which culminated in Pope Francis' Apostolic Journey to Korea in 2014, and in President Moon Jae-in's visits to the Vatican, in 2018 and 2021.

The Secretary for Relations with States then reaffirmed "the commitment of the Holy See to cooperating  with the Republic of Korea" to achieve lasting peace and true harmony both in the  Asian nation and in the whole world and expressed "gratitude for the respect that the Korean State has owards the Catholic Church and its contribution to Korean society".

He also assured that the Holy See accompanies and supports the Korean people’s aspiration for peace and reconciliation “in the entire Korean Peninsula."

He finally recalled the Pope's strong desire to also visit North Korea if invited by the local Authorities.