Pope Leo’s Easter plea highlights systemic militarization: How geopolitical elites profit from perpetual war while global south bears disproportionate costs

Indigenous traditions universally reject the concept of 'just war,' framing conflict as a failure of relational accountability rather than a moral or strategic necessity. The Catholic Church’s historical erasure of indigenous cosmologies—such as the Taino’s pre-Columbian peace traditions or the Māori concept of manaakitanga (reciprocal care)—reveals a pattern of imposing Western militarized frameworks. Modern indigenous movements, like the Zapatistas in Mexico, model autonomous governance without standing armies, yet these alternatives are excluded from mainstream peace discourse.

The Vatican’s Easter appeals echo 15th-century papal bulls like *Inter Caetera*, which justified colonial conquest as divine mandate, demonstrating a centuries-long pattern of moralizing violence. The modern 'just war' doctrine, codified by Augustine and Aquinas, was weaponized to legitimize European expansion and later U.S. imperialism, from the Philippine-American War to Iraq. Structural continuity persists in how 'humanitarian interventions' today replicate colonial logics, masking resource extraction under the guise of liberation.

Non-Western peace traditions often center collective healing over retributive justice, as seen in Rwanda’s gacaca courts or South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which prioritized communal restoration over punitive measures. In contrast, Western peace frameworks prioritize ceasefires and treaties that rarely address underlying economic exploitation, as evidenced by the failure of the 2018 North Korea summit to dismantle sanctions regimes. The Pope’s call, while well-intentioned, risks reinforcing this top-down, state-centric model rather than systemic transformation.

Research in peace studies (e.g., Johan Galtung’s structural violence theory) demonstrates that war’s persistence stems from economic incentives, resource scarcity, and institutionalized inequality rather than innate human aggression. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) documents that global military spending reached $2.4 trillion in 2023, with 60% concentrated in five countries, revealing a clear structural driver of conflict. Neuroscientific studies also show that prolonged exposure to militarized environments (e.g., Gaza, Donbas) induces trauma that cycles into further violence, underscoring the need for systemic demilitarization.

Artistic traditions across cultures depict war as a rupture in the sacred fabric of life, from Picasso’s *Guernica* to the Māori *whakapapa* (genealogical) narratives that trace violence to broken relationships with land and ancestors. Spiritual practices like Sufi whirling or Native American pipe ceremonies reframe conflict as a call to restore harmony, yet these are often dismissed as 'idealistic' in secular peace discourse. The Pope’s Easter message, while spiritually resonant, lacks the radical reimagining of power that artistic and spiritual traditions demand.

Scenario modeling by the Club of Rome suggests that unchecked militarization could push global GDP growth negative by 2050 due to resource depletion and climate-induced conflicts, yet current policies remain locked in a 'security dilemma' loop. Alternative futures, such as the EU’s 'Civilian CSDP Missions,' demonstrate that non-military interventions (e.g., mediation, infrastructure rebuilding) reduce relapse into violence by 40% compared to traditional peacekeeping. The Pope’s call could catalyze a shift toward 'positive peace' models if paired with reparative justice frameworks that address historical grievances.

Women in conflict zones, particularly in the Global South, bear 80% of war’s indirect costs (displacement, sexual violence, economic collapse) yet are excluded from peace negotiations, as seen in the failure of Colombia’s 2016 peace accord to protect Afro-Colombian and indigenous women. Youth in war-torn regions, like South Sudan, report that 'peace' often means the absence of bombs but not the presence of opportunity, highlighting the need for intergenerational justice. The Vatican’s moral framing risks centering elite voices while sidelining grassroots movements like the *Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo* or *Afghan Women’s Network*, which have long demanded systemic change.