‘Lay down your sword,’ Pope urges during Rosary for peace
October 13, 2025
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CWN Editor's Note: During an evening prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV presided at the recitation of the Rosary for peace and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
The original statue of Our Lady of Fatima was brought to Rome from Portugal for the occasion; there, in 1917, the Blessed Virgin had requested the praying of the Rosary for peace.
During the prayer vigil, the Pontiff reflected on the Marian spirituality and Christ’s blessing on the peacemakers. Referring to Christ’s words to St. Peter, Pope Leo said:
Lay down your sword is a message addressed to the powerful of this world, to those who guide the fate of peoples: have the courage to disarm! At the same time, it is an invitation to each one of us to recognize that no idea, faith or policy justifies killing. We must first disarm our hearts because unless we have peace within ourselves, we cannot give it to others.The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
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