“The world is thirsting for peace. We need a true and sound era of reconciliation that puts an end to the abuse of power, displays of force and indifference to the rule of law. Enough of war, with all the pain it causes through death, destruction and exile!”
Pope Leo XIV, October 28, 2025

Peace and peacemaking constitute two themes that often occur in Pope Leo’s letters, speeches and writings. Given the increasing rhetoric and outright violence in many parts of the globe, his response to these dangerous and de-humanizing situations invites us to consider peace, “…not as the world gives.” Pope Leo weaves the words of Jesus, “I have come to cast fire on the earth.” (Luke 12:49) into this dynamic. He makes it clear that this fire, is not the fire of discord or aggression, but the fire of love: “… the fire of love, which lowers itself and serves, which opposes indifference with care and arrogance with meekness; the fire of goodness, which does not cost as much as weapons, but freely renews the world. It may cause misunderstanding, mockery, even persecution, but there is no greater peace than having its flame within us.” (address at the Shrine of Maria de la Rotunda, August 2025) Pope Leo’s words echo the words of the Franciscan martyr, St. Maximilian Kolbe, “Love alone creates.”

Pope Leo invites all of us to conversion and transformation; we are invited to cooperate with God’s grace and be the difference in the world that each of us is uniquely called to be. In my 70 plus years on this earth and 45 years of religious life, I know that conversion is not a one-time event. Conversion requires an on-going commitment to follow our Lord in our particular life-situations. Conversion requires that I listen to my Franciscan brothers and to the greater community of the world as I seek to respond to God’s call.

In his address to the diplomats accredited to the Vatican, Pope Leo named some of the challenges to peace today: “War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading…Peace is no longer sought as a gift and a desirable good in itself…instead, peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominion.”

Throughout his address, Pope Leo warns us that this culture of unilateralism leads to an undermining of human dignity and basic human rights. The mentality of domination and aggression leads to the deaths of innocent civilians, and the destruction of healing institutions such as hospitals, churches and care facilities.

The challenges to peacemaking may seem insurmountable, but in one of his Angelus addresses, Pope Leo reminds us: “…we must not cease to hope: God is greater than the sin of human beings. We must not resign ourselves to the prevalence of the logic of conflict and of arms. With Mary, we believe that the Lord continues to come to the aid of his children, remembering his mercy. Only in this mercy can we return to the way of peace.”