The Vatican’s Vesak message urges religious leaders to promote an “unarmed and disarming” peace and avoid being “complicit through silence or fear” amid global divisions.

The Vatican has called on religious leaders around the world to take an active role in promoting peace and urged them not to become “complicit through silence or fear” in the face of those who fuel division and confrontation.

The appeal is contained in the message “Buddhists and Christians for an ‘Unarmed and Disarming’ Peace,” signed by Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, and Monsignor Indunil Janakaratne Kodithuwakku Kankanamalage, secretary of the dicastery, for the Buddhist feast of Vesak.

In the message, addressed to the Buddhist community and published Monday, May 11, the Vatican said religious leaders “are called to be authentic partners in dialogue and true agents of reconciliation.”

The text stressed that a passive attitude is not enough. Together with all believers, it said, “we are invited to become artisans of peace — not passive observers but courageous witnesses capable of fostering encounter, healing wounds, and rebuilding trust.”

“As citizens and believers, we share a responsibility to promote peace, challenge injustice, and urge those in positions of authority not to inflame division but to pursue dialogue over confrontation,” the message said. “We must also guard against becoming complicit through silence or fear.”

A peace born in the heart

The message, issued for Vesak — which commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and passing of the Buddha — reflected on the meaning of peace, defining it not merely as the absence of war but as “a gift that seeks to dwell within the human heart” and “a quiet yet powerful presence that enlightens and transforms.”

The message cited Pope Leo XIV’s words for the 2026 World Day of Peace: “Peace exists; it wants to dwell within us. It has the gentle power to enlighten and expand our understanding; it resists and overcomes violence. Peace is a breath of the eternal: While to evil we cry out ‘Enough,’ to peace we whisper ‘Forever.’”

Even when peace appears fragile, the Vatican message said, it “must be protected and nurtured.” It described this peace as “an unarmed and disarming peace that does not rely on force but flows from truth, compassion, and mutual trust.”

Facing the world’s shadows

The Vatican did not ignore the gravity of the current international context, marked by conflicts and growing tensions.

“We cannot ignore the shadows weighing upon the world,” the message said. “Wars, violence, rising ethno-religious nationalism, and the manipulation of religion continue to wound our common humanity.”

In response, the Vatican emphasized the irreplaceable role of religious traditions, which it said “can offer a vital contribution.”

“Goodness is truly disarming,” the message said. “It breaks the cycle of suspicion and opens paths where none seemed possible.”

Buddhism and Christianity converge

The message highlighted the deep harmony between Buddhist and Christian teachings on peace.

It recalled the Buddha’s teaching: “Hatred is never appeased by hatred; by non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is an eternal law.” It also cited Jesus’ command to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” and his proclamation “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Both traditions, the document said, point toward “a peace that is lived — one that disarms hearts before it disarms hands.”

A concrete, daily commitment

The message concluded with a call to translate these principles into concrete action, noting that peace is “lived daily — in gestures of kindness, in patience, in the refusal of hatred and vengeance, and in the courage to hope.”

Far from being a utopia, the Vatican said, “peace is not an illusion or a distant ideal; it is a real possibility already placed within our reach, waiting to be welcomed and shared.”

With that spirit, the Vatican expressed hope that Buddhists and Christians may “increasingly become witnesses of this disarming peace — one that heals wounds, restores relationships, and opens new horizons for humanity.”

“May your celebration of Vesak be filled with serenity and joy, and may it inspire all of us to walk together on this path,” the message concluded. “We wish you a blessed and fruitful celebration of Vesak!”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.