Pope Leo XIV Urges a 'Disarmed' Peace in New Year's Day Homily and Angelus

Overview

• Preaching at St. Peter’s Basilica on Jan. 1, the Solemnity of Mary and the 59th World Day of Peace, he said the world does not save itself by sharpening swords or by judgment and exclusion.
• He rooted the appeal in Scripture with the Book of Numbers blessing and echoed Saint Augustine’s image of a God who is disarmed and disarming.
• During the Angelus, he urged people to begin the year by disarming their hearts and abstaining from all violence.
• He praised concrete efforts for peace, citing the National March in Catania and initiatives by the Community of Sant’Egidio.
• His message followed a Dec. 31 Te Deum in which he criticized armed strategies masked by hypocrisy, ideology and false religious motives, highlighting continuity with the Jubilee’s call to renewal.