Marco Iacobucci Epp, Shutterstock.com
CV NEW FEED // Pope Francis has announced that forgiveness will be the central theme for the 58th annual World Day of Peace, which will take place next year.
According to an Aug. 8 statement from the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Pope Francis has chosen “Forgive us our tresspasses: grant us your peace” as the theme for the upcoming celebration, which will take place on Jan. 1, 2025.
The Dicastery explained that the theme is inspired “by the concepts of Hope and Forgiveness, which are at the heart of the Jubilee, a time for conversion that calls us not to condemn, but instead to bring about reconciliation and peace.”
“Only from a genuine conversion on all levels – personal, local and international – will true peace be able to flourish,” the statement reads: “not only in the cessation of conflicts but also in a new reality in which wounds are healed and each person’s dignity is recognized.”
The Church has observed the World Day of Peace each year on Jan. 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, since Pope Paul VI established the tradition in 1967. Every year, the Holy Father delivers a message reflecting on the chosen theme.
Last year, Pope Francis’ message centered on “Artificial Intelligence and Peace.”
“It is my prayer at the start of the New Year, that the rapid development of forms of artificial intelligence will not increase cases of inequality and injustice all too present in today’s world,” the Holy Father stated in the message, “but will help put an end to wars and conflicts and alleviate many forms of suffering that afflict our human family.”
