Pope Leo IV urged humanity at his first Angelus greeting of 2026, to "build a year of peace, by disarming our hearts and refraining from every form of violence" after closing last year out condemning what he said were hypocritical and "armed" strategies that go against God's plan of mercy for the world.

Greeting around 40,000 people assembled in Saint Peter's Square on the first day of 2026, Pope Leo extended his heartfelt wishes for peace and every good to them, and, while referring to violence and armed strategies, the pontiff did not mention any specifically.

"Let us all pray together for peace: first, among nations bloodied by conflict and suffering, but also within our homes, in families wounded by violence or pain," said Leo.

Following the recitation of the Angelus prayer, the Pope pointed out that for the last 58 years—at the wish of Pope Saint Paul VI in 1968—January 1st has been celebrated as the World Day of Peace.

In his own message for that day, Pope Leo recalled the greeting "the Lord suggested" to him after being elected to the papacy: "Peace be with you all!"

This peace, he continued, "is unarmed and disarming, which comes from God, a gift of his unconditional love, and is entrusted to our responsibility."

With this responsibility, the pontiff challenged everyone, with Christ's grace, to start today to "build a year of peace, disarming our hearts and refraining from all violence."

He acknowledged that many people and organizations around the world already dedicate themselves to ending violence and have created countless initiatives for building peace.

Specifically, the Pope highlighted a national march which took place on the evening of Dec, 31 in Catania, Italy, as well as a march to be held by members of the Community of Sant'Egidio.

The Pope had closed the year 2025 denouncing what he said were hypocritical and "armed" strategies that go against God's plan of mercy for the world, pointing to the Virgin Mary's humility as a source of hope.

Speaking to attendees of his Dec. 31 Vespers service for the vigil of the solemnity of the Mother of God on New Year's Eve, the pope said the circumstances of Jesus's incarnation point to "a design, a grand design for human history."

It is "a mysterious plan, but with a clear center, like a high mountain illuminated by the sun in the midst of a dense forest: This center is the 'fullness of time,'" he said.

"Sisters, brothers, in our time we feel the need of a wise, benevolent, and merciful design. May it be a free and liberating plan, peaceful, faithful," and ultimately merciful, he said.

Leo lamented that there are other, contrary designs being drawn up in the world, which he described as "strategies aimed at conquering markets, territories and spheres of influence. Armed strategies, cloaked in hypocritical discourse, ideological proclamations, and false religious motives