Angels Still Sing

Dear friend,

In Bethlehem, two thousand years ago, a Child was born in a humble grotto, wrapped in the love of Mary and Joseph. Silence surrounded Him, until the heavens burst open with the song of angels: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those whom He loves.” Yet that peace, so radiant and new, was already fragile – threatened almost at once by darkness.

Herod, fearing for his throne, sent soldiers to slaughter the children of Bethlehem. He was determined to extinguish the hope that had just appeared. The Massacre of the Innocents still echoes through the centuries, exposing a thirst for power that spares not even the smallest and most defenseless. The Son of God was forced into exile, a refugee among refugees. It was as if, after the angels’ hymn of joy, heaven itself wept at the cruelty of human hands.

Tragically, that episode is not confined to the past. Even today, it is the little ones who pay the highest price of war. The film The Voice of Hind Rajab reminds us of this with heartbreaking clarity. Barely 6 years old, Hind is seated in a bullet-ridden car beside the lifeless bodies of her family, clutching a phone and crying, “Come and get me, I am scared… I am alone.” Her words pierced the conscience of the world. For hours her voice echoed – fragile yet insistent – until the final silence. With her death, not only a life was lost, but the humanity of all of us was wounded.

The film preserves that cry, making it a symbol of millions of children who fall victim to senseless conflicts. Hind is not an isolated name: she is innocence turned into accusation, a face that forces us to look beyond statistics to the radical question: Why war? And it is here that Bethlehem speaks again, reminding us that God chose to become a child to show that peace is not a utopia, but a path. It begins with welcoming life, protecting the small, and rooting the violence out of our hearts.

To keep this message alive, since 1968 the Church has celebrated every New Year’s Day as the World Day of Peace, instituted by St. Paul VI. This year Pope Leo XIV entrusts us with an urgent theme: Peace be with you all: Towards an ‘unarmed and disarming’ peace. The silence of weapons is not enough; what is needed is the courage of forgiveness and the rejection of every logic of violence – visible or hidden.

This call resounds even more in 2026, as we mark the 8th centenary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, the man of peace. Francis reminds us that true strength is not measured in weapons or power, but in fraternity and dialogue. His embrace of the leper, his meeting with the Sultan, his hymn of praise to every creature, still speak to a world scared by conflict and ecological crisis. His legacy is a heritage for all: an invitation to rebuild bonds, heal wounds, and live in justice and fraternity.

Thus, from the manger of Bethlehem to the voice of Hind, from the witness of St. Francis to the message of Pope Leo, the thread is the same: peace as both gift and task, promise and responsibility. It is ours to embrace with courage, nurture with hope, and embody in daily life – so that violence may never again silence the angels’ hymn, but that it may resound as the melody of our world.

May Bethlehem’s voice echo in our hearts and guide us to choose peace each day. And may St. Anthony, tireless messenger of love and reconciliation, intercede for us and help us keep the song of peace alive in our world.

Happy New Year!