QUESTION : In his first Message for the World Day of Peace on 1 January 2026, Pope Leo XIV employs the striking expressions “unarmed” and “disarming” in his reflection on peace. How are these terms to be understood, given that they carry both profound theological depth and far-reaching practical implications?
- Anto John
ANSWER : Jacob Parappally MSFS
The 59th World Day of Peace was celebrated throughout the world on 1 January 2026. On this occasion, Pope Leo XIV addressed the entire Church and all people of good will with his Message entitled Towards an “Unarmed and Disarming” Peace. His call for peace is directed not only to Christians but to all humanity, and it is set against the backdrop of a contemporary world beset by alarming levels of militarization, increasingly sophisticated forms of technological warfare, deep political and religious polarization, and widespread moral relativism. Much like the period preceding the two World Wars of the last century, those who wield political and military power today often appear indifferent to the value of human life and human dignity. At this critical juncture in human history, when the law of the jungle where might is right, seems to prevail, even international law is frequently violated in the name of imperial ambitions. Consequently, peace among nations and peoples appears to be a distant and fragile dream. Deeply concerned by this grave and dangerous global situation, Pope Leo XIV urgently pleads for an unarmed and disarming peace.
Going beyond the mere rejection of weapons, Pope Leo XIV insists on the deeper necessity of disarming, that is, dismantling fear, hatred, suspicion, revenge, domination, pride, and the inner logic of violence. Violence inevitably breeds violence. Recent global events starkly remind us of the urgent need for individuals and nations alike to disarm themselves by relinquishing the desire to dominate, control, and subjugate others.
Pope Leo XIV’s vision of peace is not rooted in political, economic, or military power, nor in deterrence or domination, but in the transformative and life-giving presence of the Risen Christ, mediated through the Holy Spirit. For him, peace is not merely the absence of war or a remote ideal; it is a lived reality, both a grace and a task. Peace begins with our response to the vocation to be authentically human. It takes root in the human heart, extends to social relationships and structures, and ultimately shapes relations among nations and peoples. In the Indian context, Pope Leo XIV’s vision resonates profoundly with the spiritual and moral legacy of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence (ahimsa) and truth-force (satyagraha). Gandhi’s conviction that peace cannot be achieved through violence but only through moral conversion and self-sacrificing suffering finds striking parallels with Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on “unarmed and disarming” peace. Therefore, the ethical framework for peace must be spiritually grounded and socially transformative. Peace, then, is neither naïve idealism nor passive resignation, but a credible prophetic commitment rooted in moral authority, seeking to confront injustice without reproducing cycles of violence.
God of Peace and the Peace of God
The theological foundation of peace lies in the conviction that true peace originates in God, extends to the whole of humanity, and expresses itself in the harmony of all creation. The God in whom Christians believe is a God of peace and reconciliation. Pope Leo XIV begins his World Day of Peace message by recognizing this truth and affirming that Christ gives the peace that originates from the Father and is actualized by the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all people of good will. Accordingly, the Pope employs the same greeting used by the Risen Christ when he appeared to his disciples after the resurrection: “Peace be with you” (John 20:19–21).
God’s word is creative, effective, and transformative. For this reason, Pope Leo XIV insists that Jesus’ greeting is not a polite wish but a performative word, it brings into being what it proclaims. Those who receive the peace of Christ are transformed, and through them, the world itself becomes a recipient of peace. Because its foundation lies in the unconditional love of God, this peace is “unarmed, disarming, humble, and persevering.” As God is the God of peace, his peace is enduring, and it is inseparably linked to the transformation of the world.
For Pope Leo XIV, “unarmed” peace does not simply mean the literal absence of weapons, though he strongly encourages disarmament in society. Rather, it signifies a peace that is not built on force, fear, or threats of violence. It is not the “peace that the world gives,” dependent on military strength and deterrence, but a peace shaped by the way Jesus lived, refusing the use of weapons (John 18:11). This peace grows from trust, compassion, and self-emptying love.
Pope Leo XIV strongly challenges distorted understandings of peace that equate it with military strength and regard war as an inevitable means of securing stability. He argues that such conceptions of peace, and the methods employed to achieve them, are deeply pessimistic, blind to the grace of God, the ultimate source of peace, and dismissive of the quiet yet persevering work of countless peacemakers throughout history. The Pope states: “The idea of the deterrent power of military might, especially nuclear deterrence, is based on the irrationality of relations between nations, built not on law, justice, and trust, but on fear and domination by force.” True peace can never be achieved through force or domination. Rather, it emerges from the conviction that God’s peace already exists as a gift, awaiting recognition, acceptance, and celebration. This peace is relational and holistic, encompassing personal integrity, social justice, and harmony with the whole of creation.
Unarmed Peace: Jesus’ Way
The peace that Jesus embodies and bestows is the authentic peace that brings human beings into harmony with themselves, with God, with others, and with the world. At the heart of Pope Leo XIV’s message lies the radical affirmation that the peace of Christ is unarmed. Jesus’ refusal to use violence to defend himself, even in the face of injustice and death, challenges all powers that resort to violence, not only for self-defense but also for domination and control. Jesus was always unarmed and never resorted to weapons for his protection.
At the time of his arrest, though at least one of his companions was armed, Jesus himself remained unarmed and rebuked the use of violence: “Put your sword back in its place,” he said, “for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.… Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me” (Matt 26:52, 55). Jesus’ radical choice to allow himself to become the victim of violence continues to unsettle the powers of this world from the moment of his crucifixion until today. His cross itself became his resurrection. It was an unarmed victory over the violence unleashed by the political and religious authorities of his time. Pope Leo XIV acknowledges that Jesus’ nonviolent response deeply troubled his disciples, yet it remains central to authentic Christian discipleship.
Jesus’ refusal to use violence to defend himself, even in the face of injustice and death, challenges all powers that resort to violence, not only for self-defense but also for domination and control. Jesus was always unarmed and never resorted to weapons for his protection.
For Pope Leo XIV, “unarmed” peace does not simply mean the literal absence of weapons, though he strongly encourages disarmament in society. Rather, it signifies a peace that is not built on force, fear, or threats of violence. It is not the “peace that the world gives,” dependent on military strength and deterrence, but a peace shaped by the way Jesus lived, refusing the use of weapons (John 18:11). This peace grows from trust, compassion, and self-emptying love. Pope Leo XIV’s call to nonviolence is therefore not a withdrawal from history but a prophetic engagement with it.
Disarming Peace and the Way of the Heart
True peace cannot be achieved without the conversion of the human heart. The heart and mind, as symbols of the center of human being, thought, and affectivity, must undergo a transformation that reshapes both thinking and action, opening new pathways toward peace and harmony. Going beyond the mere rejection of weapons, Pope Leo XIV insists on the deeper necessity of disarming, that is, dismantling fear, hatred, suspicion, revenge, domination, pride, and the inner logic of violence. Violence inevitably breeds violence. Recent global events starkly remind us of the urgent need for individuals and nations alike to disarm themselves by relinquishing the desire to dominate, control, and subjugate others.
The Pope understands disarming as fostering empathy, forgiveness, dialogue, and mutual understanding, so that conflicts do not spiral into endless cycles of retaliation. Violence, he warns, lurks in the heart of every human being. Only a genuine conversion of heart can enable individuals and communities to become truly disarming and nonviolent.
Peace begins with our response to the vocation to be authentically human. It takes root in the human heart, extends to social relationships and structures, and ultimately shapes relations among nations and peoples.
Pope Leo XIV reminds Christians of their divine vocation. Just as God’s love “disarms” human hearts by encountering them within the concrete circumstances of their lives, Christians are called to reflect the same divine style, inviting others, entering into dialogue, and offering healing. Echoing Saint Pope John XXIII’s call for “integral disarmament,” Pope Leo XIV emphasizes the necessity of a conversion of hearts and minds for the emergence of lasting peace. What is required is a genuine metanoia, a profound turning of the heart that reshapes thought and action. To this end, the Pope stresses the cultivation of humility, vulnerability, and openness to others. He poignantly observes: “Goodness is disarming. Perhaps this is why God became a child. The mystery of the Incarnation, which reaches its deepest descent even to the realm of the dead, begins in the womb of a young mother and is revealed in the manger in Bethlehem. ‘Peace on earth,’ sing the angels, announcing the presence of a defenseless God, in whom humanity can discover itself as loved only by caring for him” (cf. Luke 2:13–14).
Critique of Contemporary Militarization
Pope Leo XIV offers a penetrating critique of contemporary militarization, devoting a substantial portion of his World Day of Peace message to this theme. He forcefully challenges the logic of deterrence, particularly nuclear deterrence, which he characterizes as irrational and fear-based. He notes that “global military expenditure increased by 9.4% in 2024 compared to the previous year, confirming the trend of the last ten years and reaching a total of $2,718 billion (or 2.5% of global GDP).” This dramatic increase reflects a worldview shaped more by mistrust than by justice. Fear, he argues, is the driving force behind militarization, breeding suspicion, legitimizing unethical and inhuman repression, and normalizing violence. In contrast, the Pope proposes trust grounded in ethical conviction and shared humanity.
The dangers of militarization are further intensified by the growing use of artificial intelligence in warfare. Pope Leo XIV’s warning in this regard marks a significant development in the Church’s teaching on peace. He cautions: “There is even a growing tendency among political and military leaders to shirk responsibility, as decisions about life and death are increasingly ‘delegated’ to machines. This marks an unprecedented and destructive betrayal of the legal and philosophical principles of humanism that underlie and safeguard every civilization.” Warfare mediated by algorithms erodes moral accountability and dulls the human conscience.
Misuse of Religion and Nationalism
Pope Leo XIV prophetically challenges the misuse of religion to justify violence, exclusion, and distorted forms of nationalism. He observes: “Unfortunately, it has become increasingly common to drag the language of faith into political battles, to bless nationalism, and to justify violence and armed struggle in the name of religion. Believers must actively refute, above all by the witness of their lives, these forms of blasphemy that profane the holy name of God.” Rather than becoming instruments of hatred, religions are called to safeguard language, memory, and conscience, and to become, in his words, “houses of peace.”
The Pope also underscores the political dimension of peace. He affirms the importance of diplomacy, international law, and multilateral institutions as essential instruments for preventing conflict. He urges those entrusted with public responsibility to “give serious thought to the problem of achieving more humane relations between States throughout the world,” insisting that such efforts must be based on mutual trust, sincerity in negotiations, and faithful fulfillment of obligations.
In concluding his World Day of Peace message, Pope Leo XIV emphasizes that “it is more necessary than ever to cultivate prayer, spirituality, and ecumenical and interreligious dialogue as paths of peace and as languages of encounter within traditions and cultures.” As the Church celebrates the Jubilee of Hope, he calls for renewed commitment to sustaining hope by encouraging every spiritual, cultural, and political initiative that fosters peace. With this same hope, Pope Leo XIV invokes the words of the prophet Isaiah: “He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord” (Isa 2:4–5). Indeed, the ultimate source of true peace, both unarmed and disarming, is the God of peace, and peacemakers are rightly called the children of God.
