The annual World Day of Peace takes place on Thursday 1 January, which is the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God.
The theme of Pope Leo XIV’s message is ‘Peace be with you all: Towards an unarmed and disarming peace”.
He calls for a rejection of violence and militarization, embracing nonviolence, dialogue and conversion of hearts, inspired by the Risen Christ’s peace, to build a world of love, justice and mutual trust, countering fear and war.
This is Pope Leo XIV’s first message for the observance, marking the 59th World Day of Peace.
The message urges humanity to move beyond fear-based security and embrace a profound, nonviolent peace that transforms individuals and societies, echoing Jesus’s Easter greeting, “Peace be with you!”.Â
This coming Sunday (4 January) we mark the Day of Prayer for Justice & Peace and a special collection for the work of Justice & Peace Scotland will take place.
A pastoral letter from Archbishop Bill Nolan (Glasgow), President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland Justice & Peace Commission, can be read here.
