The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences on April 15 rejected the use of religion to justify war, calling peace a “moral imperative” as global violence escalates.
In a pastoral appeal, the bishops warned against invoking faith to legitimize conflict, saying “invoking God to justify war is a distortion of faith.”
The statement, titled “Blessed Are the Peacemakers,” expressed “prayerful solidarity” with Pope Leo XIV and echoed his “urgent appeal for peace” amid “deepening global anxiety and escalating violence.”
The appeal comes amid tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV following the pope’s criticism of war, particularly the U.S.- and Israel-linked conflict involving Iran.
Trump publicly attacked the pontiff, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy,” while also posting controversial content portraying himself in religious imagery, drawing backlash from Church leaders and widening a rare rift between political authority and the Vatican’s moral voice.
Drawing on the Gospel, the bishops said the call to peace is non-negotiable. “This Beatitude is not a pious ideal. It is a moral imperative,” they said, citing the teaching “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”
The FABC pointed to “the fragility of international law and the weakening of global institutions,” warning against reliance on “force, deterrence, and domination.” It urged nations to pursue “the path of justice, dialogue, and peace rooted in human dignity.”
The bishops called on leaders “to end the ongoing hostilities,” “to return to the negotiating table,” and “to respect international law and humanitarian norms.” They also urged governments “to pursue the path of moral diplomacy, grounded not in narrow national interest but in the common good of the human family.”
Citing the region’s experience, the statement said, “Asia knows well the cost of war, the wounds of division, and the long journey toward reconciliation,” stressing that peace is achieved “not through domination, but through patient dialogue, mutual respect, and the difficult work of justice.”
The bishops said the Church must speak out in the face of violence. “We believe that we cannot remain silent,” they said, adding that its mission is “to form consciences, to speak truth, and to keep alive the hope that peace is possible.”
