The Vatican’s top diplomat to Thailand has called on people of all faiths and none to turn Christmas into a moment of renewed commitment to peace, dialogue, and everyday acts of compassion.
In his Christmas 2025 message, Archbishop Peter B. Wells, Apostolic Nuncio to the Kingdom of Thailand, said the birth of Christ remains a timely reminder of the possibility of harmony amid division and conflict.
The prelate pointed to Thailand’s interreligious coexistence as a model in a polarized world.
“In this sacred time for Christians, the world pauses to remember the birth of the Prince of Peace in a humble stable in Bethlehem,” Wells said, describing the event as “a divine invitation to harmony, a reminder that even in the midst of chaos, light can break through.”
Wells said the call to peace carries renewed urgency in a world marked by polarization and breakdowns in relationships.
“We see it all around us: voices raised in anger, communities fractured by misunderstanding, families who no longer speak, and nations strained by conflict,” he said.
Against this backdrop, the nuncio cautioned against shallow understandings of peace, emphasizing that it does not mean suppressing differences.
“Peace is not the absence of differences, but the presence of love,” Wells said. “It is not uniformity, but unity in our uniqueness. It is not silence born of fear, but open and honest exchange rooted in mutual respect.”
The message was addressed not only to Christians but to society at large. Wells invited “every man and woman of good will, regardless of creed or culture,” to examine their own role in fostering harmony, asking: “What can I do, in my own corner of the world, to make it a more loving and accepting place?”
He said peace-building often begins with small, concrete actions, such as “a kind word to a stranger,” “truly listening to someone whose views differ from our own,” and “reaching out to a neighbor in need.”
Wells highlighted Thailand’s religious landscape as an example of lived harmony, noting that “Buddhist temples stand alongside churches, mosques, and Hindu shrines, all under the same sky, all part of the same human family.”
He described this reality as “not mere coexistence” but “a living testament to the beauty of mutual respect, admiration and deep concern for one another.”
Reflecting on his ministry across the country, Wells said he has been “deeply moved by the generosity and openness” he has encountered, from urban centers to rural communities, where he sees “the light of Christmas alive in acts of kindness that transcend religion and ethnicity.”
Calling for Christmas to move beyond symbolic observance, the nuncio urged that it become “a turning point,” when people choose “to build bridges instead of walls, to heal rather than to harm, to love rather than to judge.”
He encouraged a “renewed commitment” to peace within families, harmony in communities, and hope for the world, expressing his wish that people find “the courage to be peacemakers.”
