Pope Leo XIV has reaffirmed that lasting peace cannot be achieved through nuclear weapons but through disarmament, in the introduction to his new book, “Disarmed and Disarming: Peace is a Gift”, published by the Vatican Publishing House.
The volume, edited by Alessandro Banfi, is the first anthology bringing together Pope Leo XIV’s reflections on peace since his election on 8 May 2025. It opens with an unpublished text in which the Pope reflects on the growing number of conflicts across the world and the Christian responsibility to become builders of peace.
The Pope notes that 103 countries are currently affected by war in some way, recalling Pope Francis’ description of today’s conflicts as a “Third World War fought in pieces.” He stresses that peace begins with personal responsibility, writing that “peace begins with me. It begins with us,” encouraging people to practise forgiveness, kindness and reconciliation in their daily lives.
Addressing the international community, Pope Leo XIV argues that “it is not nuclear weapons that generate peace, but disarmament.” He warns that the renewed global arms race, particularly in the nuclear age, has become a source of fear, while also raising concerns about the growing combination of cyber warfare and global rearmament.
The Pope also highlights individuals who have become witnesses to peace through courage and moral conviction, including Blessed Floribert Bwana Chui, Servants of God Giorgio La Pira and Dorothy Day, as well as Soviet officer Stanislav Petrov, whose decision in 1983 helped avert a potential nuclear conflict.
Concluding his reflection, Pope Leo XIV calls on believers and all people of goodwill never to lose hope, urging everyone to reject violence and make peace “the cause of their lives.”
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