Six Popes – One Call: Peace
Written By friar Wayne Hellmann, OFM Conv.
“Peace be with you all!”
Dear brothers and sisters, these are the first words spoken by the risen Christ. I would like this greeting of peace to resound in your hearts, in your families, among all people, wherever they are, in every nation, and throughout the world.
These words are not new to us. They were the first words spoken by the newly elected Pope Leo XIV. They were also the words with which Pope John XXIII concluded his encyclical letter on peace, Pacem in Terris (Holy Thursday, 1963): “The sacred liturgy of these days reechoes Our Lord Jesus Christ. After His resurrection, He stood in the midst of His disciples and said: ‘Peace be upon you.’”
Two years later, during the height of the war in Vietnam, Pope Paul VI repeated the call of Pope John XXIII during his visit to the United Nations: “Never again war, war never again! It is peace, peace, that has to guide the destiny of the nations of all mankind!” (Oct. 4, 1965) In that same speech, Pope Paul cited the recently deceased President John F. Kennedy: “Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.”
Pope John Paul II vigorously attempted to dissuade the president and government of the United States from invading Iraq, declaring on Jan. 13, 2003, “No to war! War is not always inevitable. It is always a defeat for humanity.”
Pope Benedict XVI advocated for a holistic approach to peace. He focused on the interconnectedness of environmental protection, human dignity, and peace: “If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation” (Jan. 1, 2010). Additionally, two years later, he proclaimed: “The attainment of peace depends above all on recognizing that we are, in God, one human family.” (Jan. 1, 2013)
Pope Francis’s final message on Easter Sunday (April 20, 2025), just hours before his death, captured both lament and hope: “Easter is the celebration of life and wants the human family to rise again! In his eyes, every life is precious! The life of a child in the mother’s womb, as well as the elderly and sick who, in more and more countries, are looked upon as people to be discarded. What a great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of our world.
I would like us to renew our hope that peace is possible. From the Holy Sepulcher, the Church of the Resurrection, may the light of peace radiate throughout the Holy Land and the entire world.”
Six consecutive popes, the same message! Why? To become instruments of peace is fundamentally, first and foremost, the Gospel message. Saint Francis of Assisi was the first to proclaim, in a public and political forum, peace. The Gospel mission is about effecting peace. In his Rule, Saint Francis enjoined his brothers and all followers of Christ: “Into whatever house they enter, let them first say: Peace to this house!”
Is this not now the primary mission for us all?
