Pope's Peace Day Message an invitation to convert hearts and minds
By Linda Bordoni
Pope Francis’ 2025 World Day of Peace Message entitled “Forgive Us Our Debts: Grant Us Your Peace” was presented in the Vatican on Thursday morning. In his message the Pope references the 2025 Jubilee Year on the theme “Pilgrims of Hope” that underscores the deep meaning of the Jubilee as a special year of universal remission of sins and debts to liberate the oppressed.
Speakers at the press conference included Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Dignity, Krisanne Vaillancourt, Executive Director of Catholic Mobilizing Network, and Vito Fontana, a former landmine producer now working with Intersos, a humanitarian organization that provides aid, in particular to people whose lives are threatened by conflict.
Forgiveness, renewal, global responsiblity
Cardinal Czerny highlighted the resonances between the Message and the Jubilee Year explaining that the Message integrates the biblical meanings of “sin” and “debts,” urging forgiveness, renewal, and global responsibility.
He said it invites us in particular to strengthen our faith in Jesus to counter injustice and evil in the world; to commit to conversion of heart and mind, guided by love and responsibility for others, particularly the poor and the earth; to work for disarmament by embracing a transformative perspective that fosters unity and care, calling for global actions like forgiving foreign debt, abolishing the death penalty, and combating hunger.
These steps, Cardinal Czerny explained, emphasize forgiveness, justice, and solidarity as pathways to hope and peace in a troubled world.
Building a culture of life
Krisanne Vaillancourt, Executive Director of Catholic Mobilizing Network that advocates the abolition of the death penalty noted that the Pope’s message emphasizes forgiveness as the foundation for peace.
She said it challenges individuals and societies to confront structures of sin and promote healing, particularly through restorative justice.
The overarching message, Vaillancourt noted, is a call to action, an invitation to embrace forgiveness and dismantle structures of violence, such as the death penalty, to build a culture of life and peace grounded in mercy and justice.
The arms trade
Vito Alfieri Fontana, the Italian former landmine producer who has transformed his life and his mission becoming an advocate for peace and responsibility, reflected on how the arms trade thrives on the illusion of quick solutions, perpetuating conflicts for profit while ignoring the long-term.
He spoke about how the Pope’s teaching highlights that war, lies, and inequality tear apart communities while benefiting a small, powerful minority and that people affected by war demand justice, not charity.
Fontana reiterated the concept that it those who profit from conflict who bear a moral responsibility to repair the damage and support recovery.
Inspired by Pope Francis, he expressed his belief that true peace requires acknowledging the world’s collective debt to war-torn communities and the commitment to pursue reconciliation, justice, and coexistence.
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