Léon XIV in Pavia: Builders of Peace, Not Hate

On June 20, Léon XIV visited Pavia. A child asked him about violence in the world. His response: *"Enough words of hatred, harassment, war."* A foretaste of his pastoral style as Paris approaches.

The Fact

On June 20, 2026, Leo XIV made a pastoral visit to Pavia. Welcomed in the Piazza del Duomo by some 1,500 faithful—including young people from the Grest and the local Peruvian community—he responded to a child who asked him about violence in the world. His answer: "Enough words of hatred, bullying, war. Be a living community, builders of peace and promoters of reconciliation."

Our Interpretation

The visit to Pavia reveals Leo XIV’s pastoral style just weeks before his trip to Paris: direct, at a child’s level, rooted in the concrete life of communities. He does not speak of peace in abstract terms; he answers a real question from a real child in a real city. It is a walking catechesis.

His response aligns with the constant Gospel teaching: "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Mt 5:9). The call to be "promoters of reconciliation" refers to 2 Cor 5:18-19, where Paul presents reconciliation as the ministry proper to those who have received grace: "God reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation."

Peace is not a political outcome: it is a baptismal vocation. The ten thousand volunteers preparing for Paris have understood this.

For Reflection