A new Vatican labor regulations decree was issued after an audience granted to Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, pictured here with Pope Leo XIV. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 19, 2025 / 16:22 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV approved new labor regulations at the Office of Labor of the Apostolic See (ULSA, by its Italian acronym), the Holy See’s body responsible for managing labor relations for personnel working in the Roman Curia, the Governorate of Vatican City State, and other entities directly administered by the Apostolic See.

The reform, established through a pontifical rescript signed on Nov. 25, introduces significant changes that strengthen institutional representation, improve internal coordination, and underscore the pontiff’s care for employees and the application of the Church’s social doctrine.

The document that has been released — corresponding to the ULSA’s new statute — details, in precise legal language, how labor disputes should be handled in the Vatican, reinforcing protections, procedures, and deadlines for both current and former employees of the Holy See.

Specifically, the text regulates the chapter dedicated to labor disputes, clearly establishing who can appeal, to which authorities, and within what time frames.

The document indicates that anyone who believes they have been harmed by an administrative act in labor matters — unless it has been expressly approved by the pope — may file a complaint with ULSA or take it to the Vatican judicial authority.

However, it is emphasized that attempting conciliation with the ULSA director is a mandatory condition, an indispensable requirement before pursuing any other course of action.

The text also specifies that, when required by the internal regulations of each administration, the employee must first exhaust all internal remedies, failing which his or her claim will be deemed inadmissible. Only after completing this process can the procedure before ULSA or the courts of Vatican City State be initiated.

Solutions through dialogue before resorting to legal action

Labor disputes — whether individual or collective — will be resolved preferably through conciliation mechanisms, and only in case of failure will they be referred to the ULSA Conciliation and Arbitration Board or the Vatican court. In this way, the system prioritizes solutions through dialogue before resorting to legal action.

The document also establishes a five-year statute of limitations for rights arising from the employment relationship, although it clarifies that filing a request for conciliation interrupts this period until official notification of the document that concludes this phase.

Matters falling under the jurisdiction of the Disciplinary Commissions established in the general regulations of the various Vatican administrations are expressly excluded from this procedure.

Regarding deadlines, the statute stipulates that the appeal must be filed within 30 days of notification — or actual knowledge — of the contested act. The same deadline applies after a negative decision on an internal appeal or in the case of administrative silence, if the administration fails to respond within the prescribed time.

Finally, the text details the formal requirements of the claim, which must include the claimant’s personal data, the identification of the administration involved,and the act being challenged, as well as the necessary elements to allow for the proper processing of the case.

The decree was issued after an audience granted to Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and coincides with the approval of the new general regulations of the Roman Curia.

Overall, the document reflects an effort to provide greater legal certainty, transparency, and procedural order to labor relations within the Vatican, in line with the recent reform initiated by Pope Leo XIV to strengthen the protection of workers and promote a culture of conciliation before resorting to legal conflict.

A more representative council

Another major innovation of the new statute is the expansion of the ULSA Council, the advisory body responsible for developing regulatory proposals. For the first time, it will include a representative from the Secretariat of State as well as from the Vicariate of Rome, the Pension Fund, and the Healthcare Fund (FAS) used by employees of the Vatican and the Holy See. This addition brings the number of newly represented entities to four and aims to strengthen the technical expertise and effective protection of workers.

The council — whose members serve a five-year term — already included representatives from various Vatican dicasteries and bodies, such as the Dicastery for Evangelization, the Secretariat for the Economy, the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, and the Governorate of Vatican City State.

A more ‘synodal’ working style

The new statute also introduces a more participatory way of working. From now on, each council member will be able to propose topics for the agenda directly, a power that previously required the support of at least four members. According to Vatican sources, this measure emphasizes a more “synodal” working style and promotes the creative involvement of the various departments and staff representatives.

Leo XIV has confirmed the historical responsibilities of ULSA, an organization established by St. John Paul II in 1988 and operational since 1989, and which was further updated during the pontificates of Benedict XVI and Francis.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Pope Leo XIV addresses employment consultants on Dec. 18, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 19, 2025 / 14:30 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV advocated for a labor system that serves individuals and families so that the dignity of each employee is recognized and his or her real needs are met.

During a Dec. 18 audience at the Vatican with members of the Order of Employment Consultants, the Holy Father highlighted three aspects that he considers particularly important in the business world: the dignity of the person, mediation, and the promotion of safety.

At the beginning of his address in the Apostolic Palace, the pontiff emphasized that at the heart of any work dynamic “should neither be capital, nor the laws of the market, nor profit, but the person, the family, and their well-being, to which everything else is secondary.”

Consequently, he stated that workers must “be recognized in their dignity” and receive concrete responses to their real needs, such as the needs of young families, of parents with small children, “as well as the importance of helping those who, even while working, must care for elderly and sick family members.”

“These are needs,” he pointed out, “that no truly civilized society can afford to forget or neglect.” This is especially true today, when artificial intelligence and technology “increasingly manage and influence our activities.” Therefore, he emphasized the urgent need to ensure that companies are characterized “as humane and fraternal communities.”

He also urged the establishment of fair mediation between managers and employees, avoiding “excessive bureaucratization of relationships” and “distance and detachment and distance from reality.”

Thus, he invited employment consultants to pay close attention “to the people in front of you, especially those who are in difficulty and have fewer opportunities to express their needs and assert their interests.” 

Finally, he emphasized the importance of promoting workplace safety and lamented the numerous accidents that occur at work. “Prevention is better than remediating,” he remarked.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass for the Jubilee of Prisoners in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 14, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 19, 2025 / 11:05 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has written the preface to a new Vatican edition of the book “The Practice of the Presence of God,” a spiritual work he says is “one of the texts that has most shaped my spiritual life.”

“The Practice of the Presence of God” is a 17th-century spiritual classic written by the Carmelite friar Lawrence of the Resurrection.

The pontiff shared the personal importance of this work during the return flight to Rome at the end of his first international trip to Turkey and Lebanon earlier this month.

“It’s a very simple book, by someone who doesn’t even give his last name — Brother Lawrence — written many years ago,” he said at the time.

“But it describes, if you will, a type of prayer and spirituality where one simply gives his life to the Lord and allows the Lord to lead.”

The book that has ‘shaped my spiritual life’

In a preface to “The Practice of the Presence of God,” published by the Vatican Publishing House (LEV) in Italian, the pope goes deeper into this personal experience and places the work within his own journey of faith.

“As I have had occasion to say, together with the writings of St. Augustine and other books, this is one of the texts that has most shaped my spiritual life and has formed me in what the path for knowing and loving the Lord can be,” he writes.

Leo emphasizes that the small book by Brother Lawrence places at the center not merely the experience but a true “practice” of the presence of God, lived in everyday life.

It is, he explains, a path that is “simple and arduous at the same time. Simple, because it requires nothing other than “constantly calling God to mind, with small, continual acts of praise, prayer, supplication, adoration, in every action and in every thought, with him alone as our horizon, source, and end.”

It is demanding because it requires “a journey of purification, of ascetic discipline, of renunciation and conversion of the most intimate part of ourselves — of our mind and our thoughts, even more than of our actions,” he explains.

In this context, the pontiff cites St. Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians: “Have in you the same sentiments as Christ Jesus” — to underscore that “it is not only our attitudes and behaviors that must be conformed to God, but our very sentiments, our very way of feeling.”

Making daily tasks ‘easy and light’

In the preface, Leo underscores that this spiritual path, in which the presence of God becomes “familiar and occupies our inner space,” is where “graces and spiritual riches blossom, and even daily tasks become easy and light.”

The pope situates Brother Lawrence’s message in the context of today’s world. The writings of this Carmelite, who lived with luminous faith through a century marked by conflicts and violence — “certainly no less violent than our own” — can, he affirms, “also be an inspiration and a help for the lives of us men and women of the third millennium.”

Beyond ‘moralism’

The writing of Brother Lawrence shows us “that there is no circumstance that can separate us from God, that each of our actions, each of our occupations, and even each of our mistakes acquires infinite value if lived in the presence of God, continually offered to him,” the Holy Father says.

The pope adds that the whole of Christian ethics “can truly be summed up in this continual calling to mind of the fact that God is present: He is here.”

“This remembrance, which is more than a simple memory because it involves our feelings and affections, overcomes all moralism and every reduction of the Gospel to a mere set of rules, and shows us that truly, as Jesus promised us, the experience of entrusting ourselves to God the Father already gives us a hundredfold here on earth,” he explains.

“Entrusting ourselves to the presence of God means tasting a foretaste of paradise,” Leo writes.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language partner agency. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

ROME (CNS) -- With the Vatican's Nativity scene and huge Christmas tree glittering in the Roman sun behind him, David Henrie reflected on the joy of giving during the Advent season.

As a father of three young children, he said, it was important he find a more "visual way" to help them understand and experience this "spirit of Christmas that involves giving back."

An actor, director, producer and active Catholic, Henrie was in Rome promoting some of his latest projects, including his expanding partnership with the U.S.-based Cross Catholic Outreach, which helps mobilize Catholics to bring material and spiritual support to the poorest of the poor through the church's international network of dioceses, parishes and missionaries. 

Henrie told Catholic News Service Dec. 18 that the charity's Box of Joy ministry made the joy of Advent and Christmas more "memorable" for his family by helping them experience it in a different, concrete way.

"It was the perfect thing for me and my family because my kids got to go pick out little toys and little gifts that they put in a little shoe box and send to a kid somewhere in the world who maybe hasn't had a Christmas present before," he said.

Since 2014, Cross Catholic Outreach has helped families, parishes, schools and others pack and deliver more than 781,000 Box of Joy gifts to children in developing countries. The gifts include toys, clothing, school supplies, a rosary and the story of Jesus as a sign of Christ's love and compassion for everyone.

Henrie said the project opened his children's eyes to how some children don't have toys or even enough food to thrive. "I got to explain to them the concept of poverty in a way that they felt like they were contributing."

"What a way to help them be curious about poverty and what we can do to help poverty," he said, "and they took so much delight in picking out their favorite toys for other kids out there."

To this day, he said, when they pray the family rosary, "I go, 'What do you guys want to pray for?' And they go, 'For the poor kids who don't have gifts!'"

As "ambassador" for Cross Catholic Outreach, Henrie went with his wife, Maria, to Guatemala in 2024 and the Dominican Republic in 2023 to personally deliver Box of Joy gifts. 

"I remember we were handing out tons of boxes, my wife and I, and I got down to one last box," during the mission trip to the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Lima in Guatemala, he said.

One little girl "wanted the box so bad, but she goes, 'But I have a brother.' And so she took our last box, and she gave it right to her brother," Henrie said, remarking how impressed he was with her selflessness.

"I was like, 'Oh, I'm not that generous.' That was so nice of her to do for her little brother," he said.

While the people he saw lacked so many material necessities, they were abundant in faith, he said. Homes without bathrooms and running water would have "little shrines to the Blessed Mother" and "prayer corners."

"I got so much out of it," he said, urging Catholics to visit BoxOfJoy.org and get involved before Dec. 25.

"Right now is the perfect time," he said, especially "if you're looking for a way to get your family together around this wonderful initiative."

David Henrie shares boxes of Christmas joy

Catholic News Service spoke with actor and producer David Henrie Dec. 18, 2025, about his partnership with Box of Joy, a Cross Catholic Outreach project that delivers Christmas gift boxes to children in developing countries. (CNS video/Robert Duncan)

WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito, 75, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Palm Beach, and has appointed Reverend Manuel de Jesus Rodriguez, as Bishop-elect of Palm Beach. Father Rodriguez is a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn and currently serves as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Corona (Queens), New York. The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C., on December 19, 2025, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Rodriguez was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Father Rodriguez was born January 15, 1974, in the Dominican Republic; he became a United States citizen on July 25, 2018. 

Father Rodriguez pursued studies at the Pontifical University Madre y Maestra in the Dominican Republic, earning degrees in philosophy (1996) and law (1998), and a degree in education from the Catholic University of Santo Domingo (1997). He received a doctorate in legal studies from the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome (2003), a master’s degree in education from the Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo (2006), and a licentiate in canon law from The Catholic University of America (2016), and a doctorate in canon law from the University of Navarre in Spain (2019).

He was admitted to the Salesians of Don Bosco (a religious order) in 1993 and made his final profession to the Salesians on September 22, 2002. Father Rodriguez was ordained to the priesthood on July 3, 2004, in the Dominican Republic, and was incardinated into the Diocese of Brooklyn in 2012. 

Bishop-elect Rodriguez’s assignments after ordination in the Dominican Republic include: director of John Bosco School (2004-2008); director of Sacred Heart of Jesus School in Santo Domingo (2008-2009). His assignments in the Diocese of Brooklyn include: parochial vicar at St. Michael Church in Brooklyn (2009-2011); administrator (2011-2012) and then pastor (2012-2014) at Sts. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn; administrator (2014) and then pastor at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Queens (2014-2020). Father Rodriguez has also served as the defender of the bond on the diocesan tribunal since 2017 and has served as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Corona, Queens since 2020. Bishop-elect Rodriguez speaks English, Spanish, French, and Italian.

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WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has appointed Reverend Monsignor Peter Dai Bui, as Auxiliary Bishop of Phoenix. Monsignor Bui is a priest of the Diocese of Phoenix and currently serves as the diocese’s Vicar for Clergy. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on December 19, 2025, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Bui was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Monsignor Bui was born January 11, 1970, in Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam. He studied at the Legion of Christ Minor Seminary and entered the Legion of Christ Novitiate in Cheshire, Connecticut in 1989, making his First Profession in 1991. Monsignor Bui attended the Pontifical Athenaeum in Rome, earning degrees in philosophy and theology as well as a licentiate in philosophy (2003). He was ordained to the priesthood on December 24, 2003, for the Legionaries of Christ (a religious order).

Bishop-elect Bui served as chaplain of a private Catholic school in Caracas, Venezuela, organizing mission trips to Amazonia and Medellin, Colombia (2003-2006). He was incardinated into the Diocese of Phoenix in October 2009. His pastoral assignments in the diocese have included: associate pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Queen Creek (2007-2008); associate pastor at Christ the King parish in Mesa (2008-2010); pastor at Resurrection parish in Tempe (2010-2011); and pastor at Holy Spirit parish in Tempe (2017-2022). Bishop-elect Bui also served as an official on the Pontifical Council Cor Unum from 2011-2016. On December 16, 2014, he was named a Chaplain to His Holiness, with the title of Monsignor. Since 2022, Monsignor Bui has served as the Vicar for Clergy for the Diocese of Phoenix. He speaks English, Vietnamese, Spanish, Italian, and German.

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Pope Leo XIV speaks to patients and caregivers at the De La Croix Hospital in Jal el Dib, Lebanon, on Dec. 2, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 18, 2025 / 18:28 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV warned against the destructive spiral fueled by the arms race and the development of autonomous weapons, and called for an “unarmed and disarming” peace — one that springs from the resurrection of Christ — as the only answer to the world’s challenges.

“The peace of the risen Jesus is unarmed, because his was an unarmed struggle in the midst of concrete historical, political, and social circumstances,” the pontiff wrote in his message for the 59th World Day of Peace, which will be celebrated on Jan. 1, 2026. Its text was released Dec. 18 by the Holy See Press Office.

The four-page document is titled “Peace Be with You All: Towards an Unarmed and Disarming Peace,” an expression that directly echoes the first words spoken by Leo XIV after his election as the successor of Peter on May 8, when he appeared on the balcony of the Apostolic Palace to greet the faithful for the first time.

In the text, the pope lamented that, in the face of global challenges, the predominant response is an “enormous economic investment in rearmament.” In this regard, he noted that in 2024, global military spending increased by 9.4% compared with the previous year, confirming “the trend of the last 10 years.” According to the data cited, total spending reached $2.718 trillion, equivalent to 2.5% of the world’s gross domestic product.

Beyond the statistics, the pope warned of the cultural and educational consequences of this logic. He criticized the fact that schools and universities are not adequately preserving “a culture of memory” that remembers the “millions of victims” of wars ​​and lamented that, instead, educational programs are being promoted that are based on the “perception of threats,” promoting “only an armed notion of defense and security.”

The Holy Father also emphasized how technological advancements and the incorporation of artificial intelligence in the military sphere have “worsened the tragedy” of armed conflicts. He therefore warned of the risk of a growing tendency to “shirk responsibility” by political and military leaders such that “decisions about life and death are increasingly “‘delegated’ to machines.” 

In his view, this is an “unprecedented destructive betrayal” of the “legal and philosophical principles of humanism” upon which any civilization is based and safeguarded.

The pontiff did not shy away from denouncing “the enormous concentrations of private economic and financial interests” that are driving states in this direction, but emphasized that just criticizing this would not be enough “unless we also awakened conscience and critical thought” throughout society.

In his reflection, Leo XIV included an explicit warning against the religious instrumentalization of violence. The pope observed that it is part of the contemporary landscape to “to drag the language of faith into political battles, to bless nationalism, and to justify violence and armed struggle in the name of religion.” In response, he urged believers to “actively refute this, above all by the witness of their lives,” because “these forms of blasphemy profane the holy name of God.”

Therefore, he emphasized that, alongside concrete actions for peace, it is increasingly necessary to cultivate “prayer, spirituality, and ecumenical and interreligious dialogue” as authentic paths to peace and as languages ​​of encounter between traditions and cultures.

The Holy Father also warned of the risk of treating peace as a “distant ideal” and “disconnected from the concrete experience of people and the political life of nations.”

When peace is presented as something unattainable, the pope noted in the text, “we cease to be scandalized when it is denied, or even when war is waged in its name.”

According to the pontiff, there is a real risk that this logic will end up seeping into both private and public life, fueling the perception that it is almost “a fault” not to be sufficiently prepared for war, “not to react to attacks,” even going “far beyond the principle of legitimate defense.”

“It is no coincidence that repeated calls to increase military spending, and the choices that follow, are presented by many government leaders as a justified response to external threats,” Leo XIV lamented.

Indeed, he continued, “the deterrent power of military might, especially nuclear deterrence, is based on the irrationality of relations between nations, built not on law, justice, and trust but on fear and domination by force.”

Faced with this scenario, the pope proposed a different understanding of peace that “wants to dwell within us” and has the “gentle power to enlighten and expand our understanding; it resists and overcomes violence.”

‘Peace is a breath of the eternal’

“Peace is a breath of the eternal: while to evil we cry out ‘Enough,’ to peace we whisper ‘Forever,’” the pope emphasized.

The reflection included a cultural critique of the modern world, which he called “realistic” in its narratives but “devoid of hope, blind to the beauty of others,” and that forgets that “God’s grace is always at work in human hearts, even those wounded by sin.”

In this regard, the pope recalled that the path proposed by Jesus was already perplexing even for his own disciples: “The Gospels do not hide the fact that what troubled the disciples was his nonviolent response,” a path that everyone, starting with Peter, opposed, “yet the Master asked them to follow this path to the end. The way of Jesus continues to cause unease and fear.” 

The Holy Father acknowledged the discouragement experienced by people of goodwill who “have hearts ready for peace” and are overwhelmed by a feeling of “powerlessness” in the face of the increasingly uncertain course of events.

The World Day of Peace was instituted by St. Paul VI, who proposed it on Dec. 8, 1967, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. It was celebrated for the first time on Jan. 1, 1968, coinciding with the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and since then it has become an annual occasion for the Church to reflect on the great challenges of human coexistence.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Pope Leo XIV passes through the Holy Door carrying the jubilee cross as he leads the pilgrimage of the Holy See on June 9, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 18, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Just a few weeks remain until the closing of the holy year, which was inaugurated by Pope Francis on Dec. 24, 2024. On Jan. 6, 2026, Pope Leo XIV will be the one to close the enormous bronze door of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, through which nearly 30 million pilgrims have passed during the last 12 months seeking a plenary indulgence. 

This Holy Door is slated to be reopened in 2033, when the Church celebrates the Extraordinary Holy Year of the Redemption.

The schedule for closing rites of the Holy Doors of the main papal basilicas in Rome is as follows:

The first Holy Door to be closed — and which will remain walled up until the next jubilee — is that of St. Mary Major Basilica. The rite will take place on Dec. 25, as reported by the Holy See Press Office. The ceremony will be begin at 6 p.m. local time, followed by Mass celebrated by the cardinal archpriest of the basilica, Rolandas Makrickas.

Two days later, on Dec. 27 at 11 a.m. local time, the closing ceremony at St. John Lateran Basilica will be presided over by the cardinal vicar of Rome, Baldassare Reina, who will celebrate the Eucharist, and will feature the participation of the diocesan choir, directed by Monsignor Marco Frisina.

On Dec. 28 at 10 a.m. local time, the Holy Door of St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica will be closed. The solemn event will be presided over by Cardinal Archpriest James Michael Harvey.

Finally, on Jan. 6, 2026, the solemnity of the Epiphany, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to close the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica before celebrating the Mass that will mark the concluding act of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope. On that occasion, the pontiff will invite pilgrims to return to Rome in 2033 for the Extraordinary Holy Year of Redemption.

The Holy Doors, as is tradition, have been solely those of the four papal basilicas of Rome: St. Peter’s in the Vatican, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls. However, on Dec. 26, two days after officially inaugurating the holy year, Pope Francis made an exception by traveling to the Rebibbia prison in Rome to repeat this gesture at another door as a symbol of hope.

The late pope wanted to extend this gesture of grace to prisoners by opening the door of this correctional facility in the Italian capital.

The date on which the closing ceremony for this fifth Holy Door will take place has yet to be announced.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The "confrontational" tone dominating both global and national politics is "deepening instability and unpredictability day by day," Pope Leo XIV wrote in his message for World Peace Day.

"It is no coincidence that repeated calls to increase military spending, and the choices that follow, are presented by many government leaders as a justified response to external threats," he wrote in the message for the Jan. 1 observance.

But peace must be protected and cultivated, Pope Leo said. "Even when it is endangered within us and around us, like a small flame threatened by a storm, we must protect it."

Throughout the coming year, Pope Leo will give visiting heads of state signed copies of his message, which was released by the Vatican Dec. 18, and Vatican ambassadors will distribute it to government leaders in the countries where they serve.

Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, presented the message at a Vatican news conference. 

"In some ways we have been beaten into accepting the logic of war, the logic of armaments, the logic of enemies," the cardinal said. Pope Leo's message recognizes that "the first triumph of the logic of war is that we give up our hope for peace."

"I am not a soldier, I have never been a soldier," the cardinal said, but "even a soldier can be comforted" by Pope Leo's appeal to cultivate "peace in his heart and in his relationships and in his prayer and in his aspirations."

While the message "does not diminish in any way the horrors that we are surrounded with," he said, "it puts an enormous part of the responsibility on ourselves."

The theme of the pope's message, "Peace be with you all: Towards an 'unarmed and disarming' peace," begins with the first words he said to the crowd in St. Peter's Square May 8, the night of his election.

Pope Leo wrote in the message that he and all religious leaders have an obligation to teach and preach against "the growing temptation to weaponize even thoughts and words" and to condemn the use of religion to justify violence and exaggerated forms of nationalism. 

"Unfortunately, it has become increasingly common to drag the language of faith into political battles, to bless nationalism, and to justify violence and armed struggle in the name of religion," the pope wrote.

"Believers must actively refute, above all by the witness of their lives, these forms of blasphemy that profane the holy name of God," Pope Leo said.

What is needed instead, he said, is prayer, spirituality and ecumenical and interreligious dialogue "as paths of peace and as languages of encounter within traditions and cultures."

The message echoed what Pope Leo had told reporters Dec. 2 after meeting Christian, Muslim and Druze leaders in Turkey and Lebanon during his first foreign trip: "The more we can promote authentic unity and understanding, respect and human relationships of friendship and dialogue in the world, the greater possibility there is that we will put aside the arms of war, that we will leave aside the distrust, the hatred, the animosity that has so often been built up and that we will find ways to come together and be able to promote authentic peace and justice throughout the world."

The first step in sowing peace, the pope wrote, is to believe that peace is possible and that all people desire it.

"When we treat peace as a distant ideal," he wrote, "we cease to be scandalized when it is denied, or even when war is waged in its name."

"When peace is not a reality that is lived, cultivated and protected, then aggression spreads into domestic and public life," he said. When that happens, "it could even be considered a fault not to be sufficiently prepared for war, not to react to attacks, and not to return violence for violence."

Statistics show that is already happening, the pope said.

Global military expenditures "increased by 9.4% in 2024 compared to the previous year, confirming the trend of the last ten years and reaching a total of $2718 billion -- or 2.5% of global GDP," he wrote, citing studies by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 

Pope Leo also decried a shift in education and in the media that instead of focusing on achievements in peacemaking and diplomacy since World War II and on remembering with horror just how many people died in that war, "we now see communication campaigns and educational programs -- at schools, universities and in the media -- that spread a perception of threats and promote only an armed notion of defense and security."

That shift becomes especially frightening given advancements in weapons technology, particularly the development of drones, robots and other automated lethal weapons systems that can be controlled by artificial intelligence.

"There is even a growing tendency among political and military leaders to shirk responsibility, as decisions about life and death are increasingly 'delegated' to machines," he wrote.

Pope Leo called on Christians and all people of goodwill to join forces "to contribute to a disarming peace, a peace born of openness and evangelical humility."

"Goodness is disarming," he wrote. "Perhaps this is why God became a child."

Pope Leo prayed that as the Jubilee Year draws to a close, its legacy would be a "disarmament of heart, mind and life."
 

WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of His Eminence Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, 75, from the pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of New York, and has appointed Most Reverend Ronald A. Hicks, currently Bishop of Joliet, as the Metropolitan Archbishop of New York.

The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on December 18, 2025, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The Archdiocese of New York is comprised of 4,683 square miles in the State of New York and has a total population of 5,445,700, of which 1,572,580, are Catholic.

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