Cardinal Tobin:
Let us not forget that peace is possible!
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Vol. 7. No. 10
My dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
It has only been a month since Pope Leo XIV returned from his first Apostolic Journey to Türkiye and Lebanon. Alongside his brother Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, and Representatives of other Christian confessions, the pope and his fellow pilgrims gathered in Iznik to pray together at the site of the ancient city of Nicaea, where 1700 years ago, the first Ecumenical Council was held.
In Türkiye, our Holy Father met with the local Catholic community. “Through patient dialogue and service to those who suffer,” he said, “they witness to the Gospel of love and the logic of God who manifests himself in littleness.”
In Lebanon, which Pope Leo describes as “a mosaic of coexistence,” the Holy Father met people who spread the Gospel by welcoming refugees, visiting prisoners, and sharing food with those in need. He said he was “comforted by the sight of so many people in the street who came to greet me,” and he was especially moved by his meeting with families of victims of the explosion at the Port of Beirut. “The Lebanese people were waiting for a word and a presence of consolation,” Pope Leo said, “but it was they who comforted me with their faith and their enthusiasm!”
Pope Leo’s reflections on his first Apostolic Journey include this very powerful admonition to all who long for justice and peace in our time:
Dear brothers and sisters, all that has happened in these recent days in Türkiye and Lebanon teaches us that peace is possible, and that Christians in dialogue with men and women of other faiths and cultures can contribute to building it up. Let us not forget that peace is possible!
The simple statement “peace is possible” can seem incredibly naïve. Given the ongoing wars in Ukraine, the Middle East, Africa, and many other regions worldwide, how is it possible to believe that peace—understood as more than just a temporary stop to fighting—is achievable now or ever?
True, lasting peace occurs when we work toward justice. It results from the hard work of civilization, the rule of law and the proper order of social structures. Peace requires fairness, respect for human dignity and the refusal to take advantage of another’s weakness. Pope Leo reminds us that “Christians in dialogue with men and women of other faiths and cultures can contribute to building up [peace in our world].”
Lasting peace—more than just a temporary ceasefire or a periodic break between hostile acts—is the result of charity. There can be no true peace without forgiveness or without the willingness to sacrifice our individual or collective self-interest for genuine harmony. If we want peace, we must let go of our desire for revenge and be willing to let old wounds heal through the saving grace of God’s love.
Peace has been made possible for us because, through the blood of His cross, Christ has reconciled us with God and with each other. We have been forgiven so that we may forgive others. We have received mercy so that we might let go of our desire for vengeance against those who do us harm and pursue a higher justice rooted in love.
Peace will come when we “let go and let God.” When that day arrives, nations will unite in a world order that respects fundamental human rights and the authentic cultural diversity of nations and peoples. Neighbors will help and respect one another. Families will live together joyfully. And each woman and man on Earth will be calm, untroubled and at peace.
When that day arrives, Christ will come again, and his peace will be established across all of creation.
As we start this New Year, let’s pray for our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, and renew our commitment to justice, and to loving God and our neighbor unselfishly, as Christ loves us.
May the peace of Christ be with you in 2026 and always. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, may you find happiness and joy in working for justice and in sharing God’s gifts with others in Jesus’ name.
Peace be with you!
Sincerely yours in Christ the Redeemer,
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R.
Archbishop of Newark
Psalm 72
A Prayer for Justice and Peace
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
A Message from Pope Leo XIV:
Selections from the Apostolic Journey of Pope Leo XIV to Türkiye and Lebanon on the Occasion of the 1700th Anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea
November 27–December 2, 2025
HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER LEO XIV
“Volkswagen Arena” (Istanbul)
Saturday, 29 November 2025
The first reading (cf. Is 2:1-5) of today’s Mass comes from one of the most beautiful passages in the book of the prophet Isaiah, where the invitation resounds, beckoning all peoples to ascend the mountain of the Lord (cf. v. 3), a place of light and peace. I would like, then, to meditate together on what it means to be part of the Church by reflecting on some of the images presented in this text.
The first image is that of the mountain “established as the highest of the mountains” (cf. Is 2:2). It reminds us that the fruits of God’s action in our lives are a gift not only for us, but for everyone. Zion is a city set on the mountain and symbol of a community reborn in fidelity. Its beauty is a beacon of light for men and women from every place, and serves as a reminder that the joy of goodness is contagious. The lives of many saints confirm this. Saint Peter meets Jesus thanks to the enthusiasm of his brother Andrew (cf. Jn 1:40-42), who was led to the Lord, along with the Apostle John, by John the Baptist’s zeal. Saint Augustine, centuries later, comes to Christ thanks to the ardent preaching of Saint Ambrose and there are many similar examples.
We find here an invitation to renew the power of our own witness of faith. Saint John Chrysostom, a great shepherd of this Church, spoke of the allure of holiness as a sign more eloquent than many miracles. He said: “The miracle happens and passes, but the Christian life remains and continually edifies” (Commentary on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, 43, 5). In conclusion, he exhorted: “Let us therefore watch over ourselves, so that we may also benefit others” (ibid.). Dear friends, if we truly want to help the people we meet, let us “keep watch” over ourselves, as the Gospel recommends (cf. Mt 24:42) by cultivating our faith with prayer with the sacraments, living it consistently in charity, and casting off — as Saint Paul tells us in the second reading — the works of darkness and putting on the armor of light (cf. Rom 13:12). The Lord, whom we await in glory at the end of time, comes every day to knock at our door. Let us be ready for him (cf. Mt 24:44), sincerely committed to living a life of goodness, after the example of the numerous holy men and women who have dwelt in this land throughout the ages.
The second image that comes to us from the prophet Isaiah is that of a world in which peace reigns. This is how he describes it: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Is 2:4). How urgent this call is for us today! How great the need for peace, unity and reconciliation around us, within us and among us! What can our contribution be in response?
To better understand this, let us look at the logo of this journey, in which one of the images chosen is that of a bridge. It can also make us think to the famous large viaduct in this city, which crosses the Bosporus Strait and unites two continents: Asia and Europe. Over time, two other crossings have been added, so that there are now three points of connection between the two sides. These three great structures of communication, exchange and encounter are impressive to behold, yet so small and fragile in comparison to the immense territories they connect.
Their triple span across the Strait reminds us of the importance of our common efforts to build bridges of unity on three levels: within the community, in ecumenical relations with members of other Christian denominations, and in our encounters with brothers and sisters belonging to other religions. Taking care of these three bonds, strengthening and expanding them in every way possible, is part of our vocation to be a city set on a hill (cf. Mt 5:14-16).
Source: vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/homilies/2025
HOMILY OF POPE LEO XIV
“Beirut Waterfront” (Beirut)
Tuesday, 2 December 2025
As we have heard, the reason Jesus gives thanks to the Father is not for his extraordinary works, but because he reveals his greatness specifically to the little ones and to the humble, to those who do not attract attention and seemingly count for little or nothing and have no voice. The Kingdom that Jesus comes to inaugurate is marked, in fact, by the very characteristic described by the prophet Isaiah: it is a shoot, a small branch sprouting from a trunk (cf. Is 11:1). It is a small sign of hope that promises rebirth when everything else seems to be dying. Indeed, the coming of the Messiah was announced in the smallness of a shoot, because he can only be recognized by the little ones, by those who humbly know how to recognize the hidden details and traces of God in a seemingly lost story.
It is also an indication for us, so that we may have eyes capable of recognizing the smallness of the shoot that emerges and grows even in the midst of a painful period. Even here and now, we can see small lights that shine in the night, small shoots that sprout forth and small seeds planted in the arid garden in this era of history. I think of your sincere and genuine faith, rooted in your families and nourished by Christian schools. I think of the constant work of parishes, congregations and movements to meet the questions and needs of the people. I think of the many priests and religious who devote themselves to their mission amid many difficulties, and of the lay people dedicated to charitable works and the promotion of the Gospel in society. For these lights that strive to illuminate the darkness of the night, and for these small and invisible shoots that nevertheless open up hope for the future, today we join Jesus in saying: “We praise you, Father!” We thank you because you are with us and do not let us falter.
At the same time, this gratitude must not remain an introspective and illusory consolation. It must lead us to a transformation of the heart, a conversion of life and a realization that God has made us precisely to live in the light of faith, the promise of hope and the joy of charity. As a result, we are all called to cultivate these shoots, to not be discouraged, to not give in to the logic of violence and the idolatry of money, and to not resign ourselves in the face of the spreading evil.
Everyone must do their part, and we must unite our efforts so that this land can return to its former glory. Disarming our hearts is the only way to do this. Let us cast off the armor of our ethnic and political divisions, open our religious confessions to mutual encounter and reawaken in our hearts the dream of a united Lebanon. A Lebanon where peace and justice reign, where all recognize each other as brothers and sisters, and, finally, where the words of the prophet Isaiah can be fulfilled: “The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion shall graze together” (Is 11:6).
This is the dream entrusted to you; it is what the God of peace places in your hands. Lebanon, stand up! Be a home of justice and fraternity! Be a prophetic sign of peace for the whole of the Levant!
Source: vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/homilies/2025
My Prayer for You
Please join me in praying these words of Pope Leo XIV:
We journey as if on a bridge that connects earth to Heaven, a bridge that the Lord has built for us. Let us always keep our eyes fixed on both shores, so that we may love God and our brothers and sisters with all our hearts in order to journey together and find ourselves one day united in the house of the Father.
Amen