In a message published Dec. 18 to a restless world marked by violence, Pope Leo XIV spoke on the gift of peace offered by Jesus Christ and how countries seeking security and stability should rely on this gift rather than the power a military presents.
“Peace be with you!” began Pope Leo’s message ahead of the 59th World Day of Peace, which will be observed Jan. 1, 2026. He emphasized that these words of the risen Christ in John’s gospel are not just an expression of a desire for peace but actually bring about a lasting transformation to those who receive it.
“For this reason,” the Pontiff continued, “the Apostles’ successors give voice every day throughout the world to the most silent of revolutions: ‘Peace be with you!’” This peace comes from God and it is “unarmed and disarming,” full of humility and strength that does not diminish, according to the Pope.
Christ’s victory over death shines especially now, in the darkness of current times, and His disciples are called to believe in this light in order to overcome the darkness, Pope Leo emphasized.
Is a worldview devoid of hope more realistic?
Many people say it is more realistic to believe in a worldview that is “devoid of hope, blind to the beauty of others and forgetful of God’s grace, which is always at work in human hearts, even though wounded by sin,” the Pope said.
He quoted Saint Augustine, who called Christians to foster the light of peace within themselves and thus be able to draw others to peace.
Pope Leo urged everyone, even if they do not feel like they have faith, to open themselves to peace, adding, “Let us welcome it and recognize it, rather than believing it to be impossible and beyond our reach.”
He emphasized that peace is not something simply worked toward, but “a presence and a journey” in itself that should be protected, particularly by remembering those who, even amid circumstances that seem to have nothing left but despair, have witnessed to this peace.
Pope Leo reflected on Christ’s instruction to the apostles just ahead of His arrest and death to not be afraid and His command to Saint Peter to put away his sword when the apostle wanted to defend the Lord by force.
“The peace of the risen Jesus is unarmed, because his was an unarmed struggle in the midst of concrete historical, political and social circumstances,” Pope Leo said. “Christians must together bear prophetic witness to this novelty, mindful of the tragedies in which they have too often been complicit.”
The shortcomings of excessive military spending and AI in the pursuit of peace
Many people who desire peace are defeated by a heavy feeling of “powerlessness before an increasingly uncertain world,” which is a mindset that can lead to dangerous consequences, the Pope later noted. If one regards peace as an ideal out of reach, he or she will not be concerned “even when war is waged in its name,” according to Pope Leo. “We seem to lack those ‘right ideas,’ the well-considered words and the ability to say that peace is near. When peace is not a reality that is lived, cultivated and protected, then aggression spreads into domestic and public life.”
The Pope addressed the issue of a nation’s responsibility to have military defenses in place, pointing out the limits to this preparation. He noted that it may be considered a fault to not be adequately prepared for war or to respond to attacks, but continued, “Far beyond the principle of legitimate defense, such confrontational logic now dominates global politics, deepening instability and unpredictability day by day.
“It is no coincidence that repeated calls to increase military spending, and the choices that follow, are presented by many government leaders as a justified response to external threats. The idea of the deterrent power of military might, especially nuclear deterrence, is based on the irrationality of relations between nations, built not on law, justice and trust, but on fear and domination by force.”
He recalled how Pope Saint John XXIII, whose pontificate was during the Cold War, wrote that because of this, people live in a state “of constant fear” that they could be suddenly struck by an outbreak of terrible violence, which he said is a rational fear because “there is certainly no lack of such weapons.”
Dialogue is the best approach amid conflicts, Pope Leo emphasized. He then spoke about the concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in military proceedings, saying such use and other technological advances “have worsened the tragedy of armed conflict.”
“There is even a growing tendency among political and military leaders to shirk responsibility, as decisions about life and death are increasingly ‘delegated’ to machines,” he said. “This marks an unprecedented and destructive betrayal of the legal and philosophical principles of humanism that underlie and safeguard every civilization.”
He urged people to follow the example of Saint Francis of Assisi, who pursued peace by becoming poor and striving to live peacefully among everyone. In this way, people can add to the efforts toward “a disarming peace, a peace born of openness and evangelical humility,” according to Pope Leo.
‘Peace on earth,’ the angels sing at Christmastime:
The Holy Father also spoke in the message, which was published during Advent, about what Christmas teaches about peace on earth.
“Goodness is disarming. Perhaps this is why God became a child,” Pope Leo said. “The mystery of the Incarnation, which reaches its deepest descent even to the realm of the dead, begins in the womb of a young mother and is revealed in the manger in Bethlehem. ‘Peace on earth,’ sing the angels, announcing the presence of a defenseless God, in whom humanity can discover itself as loved only by caring for him. Nothing has the power to change us as much as a child.”
Continuing the topic of the disarming nature of peace, Pope Leo spoke forcefully against weaponizing language and thoughts.
“The great spiritual traditions, as well as right reason, teach us to look beyond blood ties or ethnicity,” he said, “beyond associations that accept only those who are similar and reject those who are different. Today, we see that this cannot be taken for granted. Unfortunately, it has become increasingly common to drag the language of faith into political battles, to bless nationalism, and to justify violence and armed struggle in the name of religion.
“Believers must actively refute, above all by the witness of their lives, these forms of blasphemy that profane the holy name of God. Therefore, alongside action, it is more necessary than ever to cultivate prayer, spirituality, and ecumenical and interreligious dialogue as paths of peace and as languages of encounter within traditions and cultures.”
He later added that this should not diminish the importance of political life, saying that those in public positions have a responsibility to improve humane relations between states.
“This is the disarming path of diplomacy, mediation and international law,” he said, “which is sadly too often undermined by the growing violations of hard-won treaties, at a time when what is needed is the strengthening of supranational institutions, not their delegitimization.”
As justice and human dignity face grave risks in the present day, people must cultivate and promote all spiritual, cultural, and political initiatives that “[keep] hope alive,” according to Pope Leo.
He emphasized the importance of cultivating fraternity in society and supporting one another, as Proverbs 18:19 and Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 relate.
“May this be one of the fruits of the Jubilee of Hope,” he concluded, “which has moved millions of people to rediscover themselves as pilgrims and to begin within themselves that disarmament of heart, mind and life.”
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