- 27 August, 2025
Vatican City, August 27, 2025 – Pope Leo XIV has chosen the theme “Peace be with you all: Towards an ‘unarmed and disarming’ peace” for the 2026 World Day of Peace, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development announced on Tuesday.
The annual observance, held on 1 January during the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, serves as a global call for peace. This year’s theme, the Dicastery explained, urges humanity “to reject the logic of violence and war, and to embrace an authentic peace based on love and justice.”
Pope Leo XIV, elected on 8 May 2025, has repeatedly appealed for peace using the phrase “unarmed and disarming”, a vision he believes must guide the world’s efforts. The Vatican statement clarified: “This peace must be unarmed, that is, not based on fear, threats or weapons. And it must be disarming, capable of resolving conflicts, opening hearts and generating mutual trust, empathy and hope.”
The Dicastery further emphasised that peace cannot remain an abstract ideal. “It is not enough to call for peace,” the statement said. “We must embody it in a way of life that rejects every form of violence, whether it be visible or systemic.”
Highlighting the universal scope of the message, the Dicastery noted that the biblical greeting of the Risen Christ, “Peace be with you” (Jn 20:19), is addressed to all—believers and non-believers alike, as well as political leaders and ordinary citizens—inviting them to build a humane and peaceful future together.
Alongside the announcement, the Vatican Publishing House (LEV) unveiled a new book compiling Pope Leo XIV’s first public addresses. Entitled “And Let There Be Peace! Words to the Church and the World”, the volume, marked by a strong emphasis on peace, will be available in English, Italian, and Spanish from 27 August.
Courtesy: Vatican News
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