By Fr. Michael Nsikak Umoh
TITLE: Peace be with you all:
Towards an “unarmed and disarming” peace
1. The greeting “Peace be with you” is not just a wish but a transformative gift of the risen Christ.
2. Christ is our peace, breaking down walls of division and conquering death.
3. Peace shines through the perseverance of witnesses who resist darkness in troubled times.
4. The contrast of light and darkness reflects both biblical imagery and present human struggles.
5. Peace is described as a gentle power that enlightens, resists violence, and endures forever.
6. Forgetting peace leads to distorted, fearful views of the world and loss of hope.
7. Saint Augustine urged Christians to first possess peace within themselves before radiating it outward.
8. Peace is more than a goal—it is a living presence and a journey that must be protected.
9. Even amid rubble and despair, people continue to bear witness to peace.
10. Jesus’ peace is unarmed, demonstrated when he told Peter to put away his sword.
11. Christians are called to prophetic witness to nonviolence, despite historical complicity in violence.
12. Augustine noted that peace is easy to possess but difficult to praise, highlighting its depth.
13. Militarisation and nuclear deterrence are criticised as irrational, rooted in fear rather than justice.
14. Global military spending rose 9.4% in 2024, reaching $2.7 trillion, deepening instability.
15. Education and media increasingly promote armed notions of defense instead of fostering peace.
16. Dialogue, as emphasised by Vatican II, remains the most effective path to prevent atrocities.
17. The use of artificial intelligence in warfare is condemned as a betrayal of human dignity.
18. Saint Francis of Assisi is presented as a model of disarming peace through humility and harmony.
19. Goodness is disarming, exemplified in the Incarnation of Christ as a defenseless child.
20. The Jubilee of Hope is seen as a chance for inner disarmament, fulfilling Isaiah’s vision of swords beaten into plowshares.
Conclusion
Pope Leo XIV calls for a peace that is unarmed, disarming, rooted in dialogue, humility, and trust in God, urging both individuals and nations to reject fear, militarisation, and violence in favour of hope, justice, and fraternity.
