World Day of Peace is celebrated by the Catholic Church each year on 1st January, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Building on this, the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales designate the second Sunday in Ordinary Time as ‘Peace Sunday’, inviting us to reflect on the annual message given to us by the Pope and allowing parishes to hold a collection in support of Pax Christi England and Wales.
This year Pope Leo XIV has chosen the theme of Peace be with you all: towards an ‘unarmed and disarming’ peace, thus echoing his words at the time of his election. This is a daunting goal in the light of the widespread belief that we must be armed, even with nuclear weapons, to protect ourselves. Both Pope Leo and a recent statement from our own Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales (Called to be Peacemakers) indicate that peace should not rely on fear, threats or weapons. Peace should have the capacity to resolve conflicts and open hearts through mutual understanding and hope. The phrase ‘Peace be with you’ is an integral part of our liturgy in each Mass and through our participation in the life of the Church we are all invited to be peacemakers.
Bishop John Arnold has recently been appointed as President of Pax Christi, and he has written to all Parishes introducing the theme for Peace Sunday. In his letter he refers to Called to be Peacemakers highlighting that the bishops have urged the UK to forsake its nuclear arsenal, support the global ban on nuclear weapons and promote ‘general and complete disarmament’. The bishops advocate for a shift from a ‘logic of fear’ to an ‘ethic of responsibility by fostering trust and dialogue’.
Bishop John says that
‘we are in a world torn by violence and war; a time of uncertainty; a time when strong leadership can help disperse doubt and show us a positive way forward in full hope.’
Pax Christi England and Wales provides peace education to schools and youth groups, campaigns for disarmament, especially the abolition of nuclear weapons, promotes a just peace for Palestine and Israel, upholds the rights of conscientious objectors, challenges the culture of militarism and promotes an understanding of nonviolence through resources and discussion.
If you think you would like to do something to celebrate Peace Sunday then you can find lots of resources on the Pax Christi website, including guides for liturgy, prayer and children’s activities. The generosity of many parish communities each year makes a significant contribution to the funds needed for the work of Pax Christi. If you are able to arrange for a collection, then this would be greatly appreciated and there are prayer cards and collection envelopes which can be ordered from Pax Christi to help with this.
If you would like to join a community of like-minded people to share in prayer, reflection and action, both online and in person, then you might consider joining Pax Christi as a member to receive regular issues of their newsletter Justpeace, e-bulletins and invitations to join actions and online discussions.
As we wait for the full World Day of Peace message from Pope Leo XIV to be released in early December, may we all consider how our lives could be transformed by adopting an ‘unarmed and disarming peace’ in our hearts and minds.
May we become people of peace to heal this world of violence.
Useful Links
Peace Sunday Resources – https://paxchristi.org.uk/peace-sunday-2026/
Called to be Peacemakers – www.cbcew.org.uk/called-to-be-peacemakers/
Pax Christi Radical Reflections for Advent 2025 from Chaplain Katrina Alton.
https://paxchristi.org.uk/radical-reflections-for-advent-2025/
Pax Christi Membership –
Become a Pax Christi England & Wales member