Pope John Paul II

=== Iraq War ===
In 2003 John Paul II criticised the 2003 United States-led [[invasion of Iraq]], saying in his State of the World address "No to war! War is not always inevitable. It is always a defeat for humanity."<ref>John Paul II, "[https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/2003/january/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20030113_diplomatic-corps_en.html Address to the Diplomatic Corps]", Vatican, 13 January 2003 (Retrieved 7 February 2007).</ref> He sent [[Pio Laghi|Pio Cardinal Laghi]], the former [[Nunciature of the Holy See in Washington DC|Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to the United States]], to talk with [[George W. Bush]], the US president, to express opposition to the war. John Paul II said that it was up to the United Nations to solve the international conflict through diplomacy and that a unilateral aggression is a [[crime against peace]] and a violation of [[international law]]. The pope's opposition to the [[Iraq War]] led to him being a candidate to win the 2003 [[Nobel Peace Prize]], which was ultimately awarded to Iranian attorney/judge and noted human rights advocate [[Nobel Peace Prize in 2003|Shirin Ebadi]].<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/10/09/1065601953306.html Pope Mooted for Nobel Peace Prize] ''[[The Age]]'', 9 October 2003</ref><ref>[http://www.deseretnews.com/article/515037715/Pope-John-Paul-II-is-the-favorite-to-win-Nobel-Peace-Prize.html?pg=all Pope John Paul II is the Favorite to Win Nobel Peace Prize] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106041001/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/515037715/Pope-John-Paul-II-is-the-favorite-to-win-Nobel-Peace-Prize.html?pg=all |date=6 November 2013 }} ''[[Deseret News]]'', 10 October 2003</ref>