Pope denounces tyrants ravaging Earth; calls redirect of weapon billions to health and education

The Pope's remarks target a 'handful of tyrants' blamed for global war and exploitation. He urged reallocating billions spent on weapons to healthcare and education. The comments were made during a Cameroon visit to the volatile separatist west where thousands have died in a long-running conflict.

Pope Leo XIV launched a blunt critique of a world he described as ravaged by a small set of tyrants who wield war and exploitation as instruments of power. He framed the call as a moral appeal, urging a dramatic reallocation of resources from weapons to the essential needs of health care and education. The remarks landed during a high-profile visit to Cameroon's western region, an area afflicted by a protracted conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced many more. The pope delivered his message with a clear emphasis on humanitarian concerns, underscoring the human cost of protracted fighting while warning that inaction risks deepening global inequities.