Learning to Think of Ourselves as ‘We’

In brief

Pope Leo XIV has released the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas to address the moral and political challenges facing the modern international order. In the document, the Holy Father argues that the current fragility of the multilateral system stems from a deep moral impoverishment and a failure to view humanity as sharing a common destiny.

Maurizio Martina reports that the encyclical diagnoses a concerning trend in which war is being rehabilitated as a tool of international politics. The document notes that the global order established after the Second World War, which relies on the UN Charter and international law to prevent conflict, is under unprecedented strain. According to the text, peace is being pushed to the margins of political and public discussion.

The encyclical is intended to provide insights for both believers and those working toward the common good. It suggests that the crisis within global institutions reflects a broader crisis of ideas regarding how people relate to one another on a global scale.