This is the first in a trio of articles on peace (and its absence) that WPI will be posting as we prepare to join Pope Leo in prayer for peace tomorrow. This article, which has been updated and modified, was first published by The Southern Cross on January 30, 2026.
Pope Leo started the year with his 2026 World Day of Peace message titled, Peace Be With You All: Towards an “Unarmed and Disarming” Peace.
Right from the start, Pope Leo reminds us of the solid foundation upon which all true and lasting peace exists, that is, upon the peace of Christ Jesus! Quoting Jesus’ first words to the apostles after his resurrection, Leo writes “Peace be with you” and explains that our Lord “does not merely desire peace, but truly brings about a lasting transformation in those who receive it, and consequently in all reality.”
Thus peace, as the Lord’s gift to humanity, is not only the absence of war, but much more. It is the transformation of the heart and mind of every person who humbly surrenders one’s will to receive and follow the directions of the nonviolent Prince of Peace. And in so doing, one becomes a deeply committed missionary disciple — one who is fully dedicated to living and sharing the Gospel of love, joy, and peace — “a peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. It comes from God who loves us all unconditionally,” writes Leo.
The Holy Father adds, “Peace is a breath of the eternal: while to evil we cry out ‘Enough,’ to peace we whisper ‘Forever.’ Into this horizon the Risen One has led us.”
Peace is both beautiful and alluring but, at times, it feels as though it is out of reach.
Over the past few months, the news has been painful to consume. We have heard threats against Columbia, witnessed added economic sanctions imposed upon Cuba, and seen images of brutal attacks upon Iran — which Pope Leo has condemned, calling all parties responsible for this war to lay down their weapons. There has also been talk of pushing Greenland to become part of the U.S. (this despite the fact that 85% of Greenlanders do not want to become part of the U.S. and that 55% prefer to remain Danish citizens). We watched as Russia continued to terrorize the people of Ukraine and used the seasonal changes as a weapon. We have seen images of a captured President Maduro being brought from Venezuela to the United States. In what – for many of us — hits closer to home, we have wept as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents callously rounded-up undocumented immigrants in the U.S. causing increasing intimidation, fear, racial profiling, and even the recent ICE killings of two non-dangerous protesters. And as many Americans struggle to afford their daily expenses, proposals for a drastically increased military budget are being floated.
In fact, the past months have felt like a case study in “might makes right.” Peace can seem like a lost cause.
Yet, Pope Leo reminds us that peace is not out of reach. He quotes St. Augustine of Hippo who wrote: “If you wish to draw others to peace, first have it yourselves; be steadfast in peace yourselves. To enflame others, you must have the flame burning within.”
Leo adds that Jesus “firmly repeats to those who would defend him by force: ‘Put your sword back into its sheath’ (Jn 18:11; cf. Mt 26:52). The peace of the risen Jesus is unarmed, because his was an unarmed struggle in the midst of concrete historical, political and social circumstances.”
Linking Jesus’ nonviolent words and example to today’s rush to violence, the Holy Father proclaims: “Throughout the world, it is to be hoped that every community become a ‘house of peace,’ where one learns how to defuse hostility through dialogue, where justice is practiced, and forgiveness is cherished.”
Pope Leo’s World Day of Peace message was beautifully summed up with the inspiring words: “Just as on the evening of Easter Jesus entered the place where his disciples were gathered in fear and discouragement, so too the peace of the risen Christ continues to pass through doors and barriers in the voices and faces of his witnesses. This gift enables us to remember goodness, to recognize it as victorious, to choose it again, and to do so together.” Let this be our Easter hope.
Image: “Peace 016” (CC BY-ND 2.0) by B.K. Ragsdale
Tony Magliano is an internationally syndicated Catholic social justice and peace columnist. He is available to speak at diocesan or parish gatherings. Tony can be reached at tmag6@comcast.net
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