VATICAN, Feb 18: Pope Leo XIV on Monday delivered a stark warning that war and widening social inequality are eroding respect for human life, insisting that access to health care must never be treated as a privilege reserved for the few.
Addressing members of the Pontifical Academy for Life during their plenary assembly at the Apostolic Palace, the pontiff reflected on this year’s theme, “Health Care for All: Sustainability and Equity,” urging renewed global commitment to protecting the most vulnerable.
“In a world scarred by conflicts, it has never been more important to dedicate time, people and expertise to safeguarding life and health,” he said. The pope criticised the vast economic, technological and organisational resources devoted to the production of weapons, arguing that such investments stand in stark contrast to unmet health needs across the globe.
Quoting his predecessor, Pope Francis, Leo reaffirmed that health care “is not a consumer good but a universal right,” adding that access to medical services cannot be determined by wealth or status.
Reflecting on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, the pope said the crisis revealed how deeply interconnected humanity is. “It has become clear how much reciprocity and interdependence underpin our health and our very lives,” he noted, calling for stronger collaboration among professionals in medicine, politics, ethics and public administration.
Leo pointed to stark global disparities in life expectancy and health outcomes, often linked to income, education and living conditions. “When we examine life expectancy and the quality of health, we discover enormous inequalities,” he said, warning that declarations about the equal value of life ring hollow if structural causes of injustice are ignored.
He also condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure in conflict zones, particularly hospitals, describing them as among the gravest violations against life and public health. Such actions, he said, undermine both immediate medical care and long-term societal stability.
The pope endorsed the “One Health” approach, which recognises the close connection between human well-being, environmental conditions and other forms of life.
He called for a renewed commitment to the common good and stronger multilateral cooperation to prevent conflict and counter what he described as a “mindset of force, whether verbal, physical or military.”
