Hope, forgiveness at the heart of 2025 World Day of Peace – Vatican

The Vatican has disclosed that hope and forgiveness are at the heart of the 2025 World Day of Peace , which is themed, ‘Forgive us our trespasses: grant us your peace’ chosen by Pope Francis and unveiled recently by the Vatican.

The World Day of Peace is observed each year on January 1. According to the Vatican, the Pope has taken the occasion to offer magisterial reflections in Messages for the day, dealing with topics such as the United Nations, human rights, diplomacy, and economic development, since its establishment in 1967 by Pope St Paul VI.

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According to the Vatican, the theme chosen by the Pope for the World Day of Peace for 2025 corresponds to the biblical and ecclesial understanding of the Jubilee Year. “Only from a genuine conversion on all levels – personal, local and international – will true peace be able to flourish,” the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Development, said in its statement on the theme for the 2025 World Day of Peace.

The Dicastery added that peace comes not only from an end to conflicts, but also in a new reality in which wounds are healed and each person’s dignity is recognised. It stated further that by the concepts of hope and forgiveness, which are at the heart of the jubilee, which is a time for conversion that calls every Christian not to condemn, but to bring about reconciliation and peace to a world in conflict.

“Considering the reality of conflicts and social sins afflicting humanity today in light of the hope inherent in the Jubilee tradition of the forgiveness of sins and the cancellation of debts, together with the reflections of the Fathers of the Church in this regard, concrete principles emerge that can lead to a much needed spiritual, social, economic, ecological and cultural change.”