Pope Leo XIV has called on the Church and society to rediscover peace as a gift from God rather than a human achievement, marking the opening of the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi.
In a letter addressed to the Ministers General of the Conference of the Franciscan Family, the pontiff reflected on the relevance of Francis’ message in an age “marked by so many seemingly interminable wars, by internal and social divisions that create mistrust and fear.”
Recalling Francis’ greeting at the beginning of his evangelical life, Leo XIV highlighted the words, “May the Lord give you peace,” describing peace as “the sum of all God’s gifts, a gift that comes from above.”
He warned, “What an illusion it would be to think that it can be built by human efforts alone,” while stressing that peace remains “an active gift, to be welcomed and lived every day.”
The Pope linked Francis’ message to the risen Christ’s greeting to the disciples, “Peace be with you,” emphasizing that it “is not a formula of courtesy, but the certain proclamation of Christ’s victory over death.”
Leo XIV said Francis continues to speak today “not because he offers technical solutions, but because his life points to the authentic source of peace.”
He also underscored the ecological dimension of Franciscan spirituality, noting that the saint’s vision of peace “is not limited to the relations between human beings, but also embraces the whole of creation.”
Peace with God, peace among people, and peace with creation, he said, are “inseparable dimensions of a single call to universal reconciliation,” especially at a time when “our common home is threatened and cries out under exploitation.”
The pontiff ended his message with a prayer invoking Francis as a model of nonviolence and reconciliation, asking for the courage “to build bridges where the world raises up boundaries,” and calling believers to become “unarmed and disarming witnesses of the peace that comes from Christ.”
