Pope Leo Peace and your Lent

Peace begins with each one of us: in the way we look at others, listen to others and speak about others. In this sense, the way we communicate is of fundamental importance: we must say 'no' to the war of words and images, we must reject the paradigm of war."  

On January 1st Pope Leo XIV released the theme for the 2026 World Day of Peace, which is:

“Peace be with you all: Towards an ‘unarmed and disarming’ peace."  

This peace must be unarmed, that is, not based on fear, threats or weapons, said a press release. “And it must be disarming, capable of resolving conflicts, opening 

hearts and generating mutual trust, empathy and hope.” 

Peace is a breath of the eternal. Christians must become witnesses to this peace. Referring to St. Augustine, the Pope invites us to forge an unbreakable bond with peace. We are all invited to walk this path traced by the Risen Lord. He himself embodied unarmed peace because his was an unarmed struggle. 

The Holy Father recalls that St. Augustine also recommended:

“not to burn bridges or persist in reproach, but to prefer listening and, where possible, engaging in discussions with others."

St Augustine

In order to achieve disarming peace, we must embody meekness because goodness is disarming. Perhaps this is why God became a child. Peace comes from a Gospel based humility. Remember a child, in all its fragility, can change hearts, question our choices, and lead us to lay down our weapons. Nor must we forget to embark on the disarming path of diplomacy, mediation, and international law, which requires mutual trust, loyalty, and responsibility in the commitments we make. 

This is the peace of the risen Christ – a peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. It comes from a God who loves us all unconditionally "  

Pope Leo XIV 

It is clear that Pope Leo is thinking of peace on many levels, at international, local and corporate levels. However, as we begin Lent, you might consider using this message as a focus for a Lenten practice at a more personal level. Look at the key phrases below and ask how they might challenge your way of relating to family and friends, to work colleagues and to neighbours. Can you become a source of peace and common sense this Lent and make our world a better place?

Peace building during Lent 

Some of the key themes from Pope Leo’s 2026 theme are shown below. How might those influence your choices during Lent? 

Focus	My Lenten action for peace could be...
"Unarmed and Disarming" Peace: Peace should not rely on fear, threats or weapons but on dialogue and mutual trust.
A "Disarmed" Heart:  The Pope urges that peace begins within the individual demanding a move away from indifference and violence in daily life.
Rejection of conflict:  The message condemns the escalation of war rearmament and the "irrationality" of relying on force to resolve conflicts.
Focus on Dialogue: Pope Leo encourages listening and breaking down barriers rather than fostering conflict.

Pope Leo's Prayer

Send us your Spirit, Lord, to rekindle within us 

The desire to understand one another, to listen, 

To live together with respect and compassion. 

Give us the courage to keep talking 

and see others with the eyes of the heart, 

Recognising in every person an unshakeable dignity 

Where diversity is not a threat  

but a richness that makes us more human. Amen 

Note:

Pope Leo is a member of the Augustinian Congregation and draws heavily on that spirituality which strikes a balance between love and truth in following Christ. Those two concerns are shown in the portrait of St Augustine above as a heart and the word 'veritas' or truth.