Overview
- At St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leone XIV presided over the New Year Mass marking the 59th World Day of Peace on the theme “Peace be with all of you: Toward a disarmed and disarming peace,” with the Angelus to follow from the Apostolic Palace window.
- The Pope said the world is not saved by sharpening swords or eliminating others, urging relentless efforts to understand, forgive, liberate and welcome without calculation or fear.
- He described God’s love as “disarmed and disarming” and pointed to the Nativity as a model of peace as the Jubilee of Hope nears its conclusion.
- President Sergio Mattarella sent a message reaffirming that Italy’s constitution repudiates war and urged international relations governed by reason and justice rather than the law of the strongest, recalling Paul VI’s “No more war” appeal.
- Coverage noted public and cultural resonance, including Treccani naming the Pope “Person of the Year 2025” and a worshipper’s “Peace for all” sign in St. Peter’s Square.