Pope Leo XIV’s new book gathers his reflections on peace, disarmament, responsibility, truth, hope, and non-violence in a conflict-torn world.
Newsroom (21/07/2026 Gaudium Press ) The Vatican Publishing House has released a new book by Pope Leo XIV titled Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift, a collection that assembles the pontiff’s addresses, homilies, greetings and reflections on peace delivered since his election on 8 May 2025. Published initially in Italian and scheduled for future release in English, the volume opens with a previously unpublished introduction written by the Pope himself.
The publication arrives at a time when conflicts continue to affect numerous regions across the globe, and it offers what is perhaps the most comprehensive presentation yet of the central theme that has defined Pope Leo’s pontificate since its first moments.
A Pontificate Framed by Peace
When Pope Leo XIV first appeared before the world following his election on 8 May 2025, his opening message centered on peace. His desire that peace resonate in human hearts, families and nations has remained a constant thread throughout his public ministry.
That emphasis is reflected throughout the new anthology. Bringing together speeches and reflections delivered over the course of his pontificate, the book presents peace not as an abstract political aspiration but as a spiritual, moral and personal responsibility.
The unpublished introduction sets the tone by recalling Christ’s first words to the apostles after the Resurrection: “Peace be with you.” For Pope Leo, this greeting remains the foundation of Christian understanding of peace. Yet he stresses that Christ’s peace was not achieved without suffering. The risen Lord still bore the wounds of the Passion, a reminder that peace is inseparable from sacrifice, endurance and reconciliation.
“Disarmed and disarming,” the Pope writes, Christ endured injustice and violence yet emerged victorious, offering a model that remains relevant two millennia later.
A World Increasingly Defined by Conflict
The Pope situates his reflections against a troubling global backdrop. He notes that more than 100 states are implicated in conflicts around the world, with violence continuing in regions including Ukraine, the Middle East, Sudan, Myanmar, Yemen and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Echoing a phrase frequently used by Pope Francis, he describes the contemporary international situation as a “third world war fought piecemeal,” characterized by widespread and interconnected conflicts unprecedented in the decades following the Second World War.
Against that reality, Pope Leo argues that peace cannot be regarded merely as a diplomatic objective. Instead, it must become a daily commitment embraced by individuals as well as nations.
Peace Begins With Personal Responsibility
A central argument of the book is that responsibility for peace starts with individual behavior.
According to Pope Leo, division often begins when people respond to conflict by judging, accusing or condemning others. Such attitudes, he warns, nurture indifference and eventually hatred.
Drawing on the writings of Saint Augustine, the Pope argues that human beings cannot simply demand peace from political leaders while neglecting to cultivate it in their own lives. Families, workplaces, neighborhoods and communities become the first arenas in which peace is either strengthened or undermined.
He highlights small acts as essential building blocks of a peaceful society: offering a smile, forgiving an offense, speaking kindly and extending understanding to others. In his vision, lasting peace grows from everyday choices before it is expressed through international agreements.
Truth and the Challenge of Disarmament
Another major theme running through the anthology is the relationship between peace and truth.
The Pope notes that even nations engaged in warfare frequently justify their actions as efforts to secure peace. Yet he argues that genuine peace requires honesty about the destructive reality of armed conflict, especially in an age marked by advanced military technologies and nuclear weapons.
Referencing the legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he reiterates the warnings of previous popes, including Saint John Paul II and Saint Paul VI, who argued that war cannot be treated as a legitimate path to stability. Pope Leo renews Paul VI’s famous appeal to the United Nations that humanity must commit itself to the principle of “never again war.”
In one of the book’s most striking assertions, the Pope insists that peace is not guaranteed by nuclear deterrence. Instead, he argues that true security arises from disarmament.
He warns that renewed global rearmament and the integration of cyber technologies into military systems have revived fears that many believed were receding after decades of nuclear de-escalation. The Church, he says, must raise a profound question before humanity: whether the current trajectory of technological militarization is compatible with the future of human civilization itself.
The Importance of Witnesses
While addressing global challenges, Pope Leo also highlights individuals whose lives demonstrate the possibility of building peace through personal action.
Among those mentioned are Blessed Floribert Bwana Chui and the Servants of God Giorgio La Pira and Dorothy Day. These figures, he writes, exemplify resistance to corruption, solidarity with the poor and dedication to diplomacy and social justice.
The Pope emphasizes that peace is often advanced not only by internationally recognized leaders but also by countless ordinary individuals who follow their conscience and act courageously in difficult circumstances.
To illustrate that point, he recalls the case of Soviet officer Stanislav Petrov. On 26 September 1983, Petrov reportedly chose not to report what appeared to be a United States missile attack after suspecting a technical malfunction. His decision helped avert a potentially catastrophic escalation during the Cold War.
For Pope Leo, the episode demonstrates the immense importance of human conscience. In a world increasingly reliant on sophisticated technology, he argues that moral judgment remains indispensable. “The conscience of a single person can be worth the entire world,” he writes.
A Message Rooted in Hope
The book concludes on a hopeful note. Despite ongoing wars and geopolitical tensions, Pope Leo insists that peace remains possible when grounded in charity, love and respect for human dignity.
He presents Christ’s teaching as the ultimate source of hope, arguing that love and self-giving ultimately overcome violence, isolation and death. Quoting the Gospel of John, he points to Christ’s promise of abundant life as the foundation for a future built on reconciliation rather than conflict.
The Pope closes with an appeal inspired by Pope Pius XI, urging believers not to succumb to discouragement in the face of global crises. Instead, he calls on people of faith and all people of goodwill to reject mediocrity, pursue non-violence and dedicate themselves to becoming builders of peace.
With Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift, Pope Leo XIV offers not only a compilation of speeches but also a coherent vision for confronting one of the defining challenges of the modern era. At a time of widespread conflict and rising military tensions, the volume presents peace as a shared responsibility, rooted in truth, sustained by conscience and made possible through hope.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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