HarperOne announced Wednesday that it had acquired world rights to "Peace Be with You! My Words to the Church and to the World," scheduled for release on Feb. 26. "Peace Be With You" includes sermons and addresses he has given since his election in May.,HarperOne announced Wednesday that it had acquired world rights to "Peace Be with You! My Words to the Church and to the World," scheduled for release on Feb. 26. "Peace Be With You" includes sermons and addresses he has given since his election in May.
10 days ago
Pope Leo XIV's first full-length book, titled Peace Be With You: My Words to the Church and to the World, was announced for release on February 24, 2026.2 3
The announcement highlights the pontiff's vision for peace, unity, and reconciliation, drawing from his initial greeting as pope.2 3
The book compiles sermons and addresses delivered by Pope Leo XIV since his election on May 8, 2025.2 3
It emphasizes key priorities including the primacy of God, communion within the Church, and the global pursuit of peace.2 3
Leo XIV underscores humility in leadership, quoting his own words: "To disappear so that Christ remains, to make himself small so that he may be known and glorified."2 3
HarperOne, the publisher, will release the book in English and Spanish.2 3
This marks the first major U.S. publication of Leo XIV's work, following the house's history of distributing books by St. John Paul II and Pope Francis.2 3
The title echoes the risen Christ's words, "Peace be with you," which Leo XIV used in his debut address from St. Peter's Basilica.2 3
As the first North American pope, Leo XIV's perspective is noted for resonating across borders and faith traditions.2 3
The book invites readers worldwide to embrace reconciliation and hope, positioning it as a message for all nations and backgrounds.2 3
Examine Pope Leo XIV’s use of “Peace Be With You” as a theological signpost
In his General Audience on October 1, 2025, Pope Leo XIV centers his catechesis on the Resurrection of Jesus, using the phrase "Peace be with you!" (Jn 20:19, 21, 26) as a profound theological signpost. This simple greeting, drawn directly from the Gospel of John, becomes a lens through which the Holy Father illuminates the transformative power of Christ's victory over death—not as a display of triumphalism or retribution, but as an invitation to reconciliation, forgiveness, and mission. By unpacking this phrase, the Pope reveals how the Risen Lord's peace transcends human expectations of power, offering instead a meekness that heals wounds and restores communion, aligning seamlessly with the Catholic understanding of peace as the fruit of justice, charity, and divine mercy.
The phrase "Peace be with you!" echoes the traditional Jewish salutation shalom, but in the Johannine account of the Resurrection, it carries eschatological weight. Pope Leo XIV highlights its appearance in the Upper Room scenes, where the frightened disciples encounter the Risen Christ. On the evening of Easter Sunday, Jesus enters through locked doors and greets them with these words, showing his wounds to confirm his identity (Jn 20:19-20). A week later, he repeats the greeting to the doubting Thomas (Jn 20:26). For the Pope, this is no mere pleasantry; it marks the irruption of divine peace into a space of fear and isolation. The disciples' joy upon seeing the Lord underscores the greeting's efficacy: it dispels terror and rekindles hope, transforming the room from a hideout into a birthplace of the Church's mission.
This biblical usage positions "Peace be with you!" as a signpost to the Paschal mystery. As the Pope explains, Jesus' resurrection is not a "bombastic triumph" or act of revenge but a continuation of love's journey through defeat. The greeting signals that death's abyss has been crossed not with force, but with vulnerability—Jesus' exposed wounds serve not to accuse the betrayers but to assure them of unwavering fidelity. This aligns with the Gospel's portrayal of peace as shalom in its fullest sense: wholeness, harmony, and the restoration of right relationships fractured by sin.
Pope Leo XIV employs "Peace be with you!" as a multifaceted signpost, weaving together themes of forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, and ecclesial mission. He emphasizes the greeting's accompaniment by Jesus' display of wounds: "Why show his wounds to those who... had denied and abandoned him?" The answer lies in reconciliation—Jesus is "fully reconciled with everything he has suffered," free of resentment. This peace is not the erasure of the past but its transfiguration into mercy, proving that God's love endures even amid human failure. The Pope contrasts this with human tendencies to mask wounds out of pride or fear, urging believers to embrace vulnerability as a path to true peace.
Theologically, the phrase signposts the gift of the Holy Spirit. Immediately after the second "Peace be with you!" Jesus breathes on the apostles, commissioning them: "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you" (Jn 20:21-22). For Leo XIV, this breath imparts the same Spirit that sustained Jesus to the cross, empowering the apostles as "instruments of reconciliation in the world." The greeting thus becomes a mandate: those forgiven must proclaim the Father's merciful face, especially to the fearful and guilty. It points beyond personal consolation to the Church's vocation—communicating joy to the undeserving, fostering communities born of resurrected love. In this, the Pope echoes the Beatitudes, where peacemakers are called sons of God (Mt 5:9), positioning the phrase as a hallmark of divine sonship.
Pope Leo XIV's use of the greeting resonates deeply with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which defines peace not as mere absence of conflict but as "the tranquillity of order" built on justice and charity. This Augustinian concept—peace as safeguarding human dignity, fraternity, and the common good—finds vivid expression in the Resurrection's peace, which overcomes the "disorders" of injustice, envy, and pride that breed war (cf. CCC 2317). The Pope's emphasis on meekness aligns with the Church's social doctrine, where peace undergirds the stability of a just order and the right to defense, yet prioritizes moral means and fraternity.
Moreover, the greeting signposts eschatological hope. The Catechism envisions a new heaven and earth where "happiness will fill and surpass all the desires of peace arising in the hearts of men," a fulfillment inaugurated by Christ's Resurrection. Leo XIV's catechesis bridges this by showing how Easter peace anticipates that ultimate shalom, inviting the Church to build it amid a "broken world." In an era of global unrest, the Pope's words exhort believers to embody this peace, praying the Rosary for it as a daily practice. Thus, "Peace be with you!" serves as a theological bridge from scriptural event to doctrinal imperative, urging the faithful to witness mercy in contemporary fractures.
As a theological signpost, Pope Leo XIV presents the phrase as an enduring call to action. It directs attention to the Resurrection's core: love's resilience over betrayal. For individuals, it challenges hiding wounds, encouraging the display of mercy-healed scars to foster forgiveness. On a communal level, it orients the Church toward reconciliation, countering power dynamics with the Spirit's breath. The Pope's summary crystallizes this: God "forgives us, he raises us up, and sends us out anew," making believers "joyful witnesses" who bring Christ's peace to division.
This signpost also highlights continuity in papal teaching. While rooted in Scripture, it echoes predecessors' emphases on peace as active charity, now reframed through Jubilee 2025's theme of hope in Christ. No divergences arise; rather, it reinforces the Magisterium's unified vision, where peace flows from the Paschal mystery to transform society.
In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV masterfully uses "Peace be with you!" to signpost the Resurrection's meek triumph, weaving biblical narrative, personal healing, and missionary zeal into a cohesive theology of mercy. This greeting invites all to receive and extend Christ's peace, transfiguring wounds into wellsprings of hope and fostering the fraternity essential to the Kingdom. By centering it in his catechesis, the Holy Father reminds us that true peace is not passive but profoundly active—a gift that demands our witness in a world yearning for reconciliation.