A year as a Leo for peace "disarmed and disarming"

“Peace be with you all”. One year after the election of Leone XIVthe first words pronounced by the Lodge of Blessings on 8 May 2025 remain the most authentic key to his pontificate.

In a world crossed by wars and international tensions, the Augustinian Pope has repeatedly relaunched the call for one disarmed and disarming peacewhich has also returned forcefully in recent days after Donald Trump’s repeated attacks against the Vatican and against any attempt at diplomatic mediation.

A personal and contemplative style

This continuity, however, did not translate into imitation. Prevost has imposed a more reserved, collected, almost contemplative personal style, which many observers have compared to Benedict XVI. In his public interventions, every word appears thoughtful, devoid of rhetorical effects, rather marked by sobriety and listening. A figure which, as the months passed, contributed to strengthening his image as a mild but determined Pontiff.

The language of dialogue

From the beginning Leone XIV he chose a language different from the one dominant on the global scene. No aggression, no pursuit of polarization, but the constant attempt to bring the world back to the center dialogue and the dignity of the person.

Continuity with Pope Francis

A line that immediately showed continuity with Pope Francisabove all in the rejection of war as a tool for resolving conflicts and in the attention to the poor and the peripheries of the world. The new Pope has repeatedly evoked the great voices of the Christian twentieth century. When he repeats “never war again” Benedict XV and Pius XII inevitably come to mind; when he insists on the integral development of peoples, the legacy of Paul VI emerges; when he invites the faithful not to give in to fear he echoes the famous “Do not be afraid” by John Paul II.

The Augustinian synthesis

A summary that Leone XIV he manages to make it personal thanks to his Augustinian spirituality, centered on interiority, mercy and the search for truth. In this first year of his pontificate, Leo XIV also showed an extraordinary ability to combine personal discipline and human closeness.

A simple everyday life

His Monday afternoon appointment at has now become habitual Castel Gandolfowhere he allows himself a few hours dedicated to sport and rest. He swims in the pool, goes horseback riding and plays tennis, maintaining a simple and regular lifestyle that many collaborators describe as essential to sustain the intense rhythms of the Petrine ministry. On Tuesday evenings, leaving Castel Gandolfo to return to the Vatican, the Pontiff almost always willingly stops to talk to journalists. No communication constructed on the table: Leo XIV responds with simplicity, accepting even the most delicate questions.

The relationship with the press

An attitude that contributed to creating a relaxed relationship with the press accredited to the Holy See. Behind the reserve of his character emerges a profoundly thoughtful figure, attentive to people and not inclined to rigid protocols. Those who meet him tell of a Pope capable of listening for a long time and remembering faces and personal stories, maintaining a sober but warm style.

The government of the Church

Also in the management of ecclesial government Leone XIV favored the method of comparison and collegiality. The meetings with the Roman departments are described as moments of mutual listening rather than simple transmission of orders. A method that once again recalls the legacy of Francesco, despite having a different personality and more inclined to discretion. It is worth underlining his intention to bring the cardinals together at least once a year to discuss with them, and twice in 2026.

On the international level, the first year of his pontificate was marked by intense diplomatic and pastoral activity. The apostolic journeys quickly picked up pace, bringing Leone XIV in Latin America, Africa, Asia and in the European peripheries marked by the economic crisis and the fear of war. At every stage the Pontiff has reiterated that it cannot exist pace without social justice and that the development of peoples remains the fundamental prerequisite for international stability. Themes that directly recall the magisterium of Paul VI and the lesson of Development of the people.

The location of the Holy See on the ongoing wars it has remained constant: refusal of military escalation, support for negotiations, defense of civilian populations. Even in the face of Donald Trump’s verbal attacks against the Vatican and against international mediations, Leone XIV avoided any polemical response, choosing instead to relaunch the theme of fraternity and dialogue. This line earned him attention and respect even in secular and diplomatic circles.

A universal language

In fact, many international observers see the Pope as one of the few global figures capable of still speaking universal languagenot crushed by the logic of geopolitical blocs. In his homilies and public speeches the reference to “disarmament of the heart”an expression that summarizes his spiritual and political vision. For Leo

Tradition and novelty

Twelve months after the election, the profile of a Pope who knew how to hold together emerges tradition and noveltycontinuity and personal style. Leo XIV increasingly appears as a Pontiff capable of taking up the legacy of his predecessors without giving up his own voice.

A summary of the pontificates

In his teaching the cry of Pope XII against war, the social vision of Paul VIthe invitation to hope John Paul IIthe universal brotherhood of Pope Francis and the theological depth of Benedict XVI. All this filtered through one Augustinian spirituality which focuses on the search for God and the care of man.

The strength of meekness

It is precisely this capacity for synthesis that represents perhaps the most original feature of the Pontificate. Leo XIV does not focus on spectacular gestures or contrasts, but on the quiet strength of evangelical word and on the authority built day after day. In a time dominated by the aggressiveness of communication and political radicalization, the Pope continues to propose the meekness as a high form of Christian and civil responsibility.

A peace mission

His “unarmed and disarming peace” it does not appear as a naive utopia, but as a concrete program based on justice, listening and recognition of the dignity of every person. One year after that evening of 8 May 2025, Leo XIV thus continues to indicate to the Church and the world an alternative path to the culture of conflict. With discretion, firmness and generosity, the Augustinian Pontiff transformed the first words of his pontificate into a true universal mission: building peace starting from the heart of man.