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Emphasizing an Open Heart and Gospel Humility for Peace That Makes People Lay Down Their Arms
Pope Leo XIV released a message titled 'Peace Be With You All: Towards Peace That Lays Down Arms and Makes Others Lay Down Arms' on January 1, marking the 59th World Day of Peace. Since his election as pope on May 8, 2025, and on several occasions afterward, Pope Leo has appealed for world peace, often using the distinctive expression 'laying down arms and making others lay down arms.'
In this year's message, the pope proposed a peace that comes from laying down arms, that is, a peace not based on fear or threats, as well as a peace that makes others lay down arms, a peace that resolves conflicts, opens hearts, and fosters mutual trust, empathy, and hope. He also stressed that merely calling for peace is not enough; peace must be realized through a way of life that rejects all forms of violence, whether visible or structural.
The Peace of the Risen Christ
At the beginning of his message, the pope said, 'Christ, the Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep and embraces even those sheep who are not within us, is our peace,' and added, 'He conquered death and shattered the walls of division that separate humanity.' Contrasting darkness and light, he noted, 'The presence, gifts, and victory of Christ continue to shine through countless patient witnesses and, as God's work continues in this world, it shines even more clearly in the darkness of our times.'
In the message, contrasting peace with light and violence with darkness, the pope said, 'Peace resists violence and overcomes it,' and continued, 'Even amid what Pope Francis has called a ‘sporadic Third World War,’ those who make peace draw strength from this conviction to continue resisting the spread of darkness.
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