Peacemaking is the ‘quintessential Catholic action,’ Pope tells children of Catholic Action
December 22, 2025
Pope Leo XIV received young people of the Italian Catholic Action movement on December 19 and told them that “to make peace is the quintessential ‘Catholic action,’ because it is the gesture that makes us witnesses of Jesus, the Redeemer of the world.”
“When the Son of God comes into the world, he finds no room in a house, but knocks on our hearts just as he opens his own to welcome everyone with love,” Pope Leo said during the audience, which took place in the Sala del Concistoro (Hall of the Consistory) of the Apostolic Palace. “Therefore, when you pray before the Nativity scene, ask to be like those angels who proclaim God’s glory and peace to humankind.”
Christians, the Pope said, are called to become saints, like Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis. “By acting like them, your proclamation of peace will be luminous, because in the company of Jesus you will be truly free and happy, ready to reach out to your neighbor, especially those in difficulty.”
Pope Leo added:
Dear friends, the birth of the Prince of peace (cf. Is. 9:6) reveals to us the authentic meaning of this word, peace, which is not merely an absence of war, but a friendship between peoples based on justice. We all desire this peace for nations wounded by conflicts, but let us remember that harmony and respect start with our everyday relationships, the gestures and words we exchange at home, in the parish, with schoolmates, in sport. Therefore, before the holy night of Christmas, think of someone with whom you would like to make peace: it will be a more precious gift than those you can buy in the shops, because peace is a gift that is found, truly, only in the heart.
Catholic Action, a lay apostolate under the direction of the hierarchy, arose in the 1860s in response to anti-clericalism in Italy, the New Catholic Encyclopedia notes in its article on the movement.
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Further information:
- To the Young People of the Italian Catholic Action (Dicastery for Communication - Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 12/19/25)
- D. J. Geaney, "Catholic Action" (New Catholic Encyclopedia)
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