The 60th World Day of Peace will take place on Jan. 1, 2027.
Pope Leo XIV has chosen “Disarming Technology, Serving Peace. Politics as Preventive Responsibility” as the theme of the 2027 World Day of Peace.
The theme will be part of the celebrations for the 60th World Day of Peace, observed on Jan. 1, 2027, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development announced on Aug. 11.
The announcement referenced Leo’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, highlighting his appeal to civil leaders to prioritize humanitarian principles and shared responsibility.
Quoting from Magnifica Humanitas, the Vatican said that Pope Leo, “recalling that ‘no algorithm can make war morally acceptable’ and warning of the risks involved in entrusting military decisions to artificial intelligence … makes a fervent appeal to the international community to foster shared agreements capable of safeguarding human responsibility and humanitarian principles in situations in which human life and peaceful coexistence among peoples are at stake.”
The Aug. 11 statement also explained that the pontiff had chosen this theme to “draw attention to the moral responsibility of those called to serve in the public sphere.”
The World Day of Peace was instituted by St. Paul VI, who proposed it on Dec. 8, 1967, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The Church first celebrated the day on Jan. 1, 1968, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.
The observance has often been an occasion for popes to highlight the relevance of Catholic social teaching to global challenges, including war, the right to life, and international diplomacy.
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