Overview
- In his World Peace Day Mass at St. Peter’s, Leo XIV said the world is not saved by weapons or by condemning others but by understanding, forgiveness and welcoming, calling for a “disarmed and disarming” peace.
- At a New Year’s Eve service, he denounced great‑power strategies to seize markets, territories and spheres of influence, saying armed plans are cloaked in hypocritical speeches and false religious motives.
- His message criticized escalating arms spending and the militarization of thinking, while urging negotiations between hostile states and recalling his pre‑Christmas appeal for a 24‑hour global ceasefire.
- News outlets interpreted elements of his critique as directed at leaders such as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, reflecting how his comments are being read in current geopolitics.
- The Holy Year drew roughly 35 million pilgrims to Rome and about 1.1 million to his general audiences, with the jubilee scheduled to close on January 6.