New Year Message: Hope That Becomes Action

In his New Year message, Bishop Michael Router, Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh, reflects on the closing of the Jubilee Year of Hope and invites us to carry its meaning forward into the year ahead.

The Jubilee year of Hope comes to an end on Epiphany, the feast that celebrates the revelation of Christ to the nations. The journey of the Wise Men to Bethlehem reminds us that the light of Christ is for every people and every place. God’s love knows no borders, and the peace offered in Jesus Christ is offered to all.

A Hope That Does Not End

While the Jubilee Year formally concludes, Bishop Michael is clear in his New Year video message that Christian hope does not and cannot end. Through Jesus Christ, we are given a firm and unshakeable assurance: whatever unfolds in our world, and whatever trials we face personally, darkness and evil will never have the final word.

Yet he also acknowledges how difficult hope can feel today. We live in a world marked by war, violence and deep injustice. Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan, Syria and Gaza continue to bring suffering and devastation. At the same time, global inequality is growing at an alarming rate, with a small percentage of the world’s population holding the vast majority of its wealth, while billions live without security, comfort or dignity.

This level of inequality, Bishop Michael reminds us, is not just an economic issue. It is a moral and spiritual crisis that threatens both humanity and the earth, God’s gift to us.

Peace Is Not Automatic

Drawing on the World Day of Peace message from Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Michael reminds us that peace is not automatic. It is a gift that must be lived, nurtured and protected. When it is not, aggression seeps into personal, social and political life.

The Holy Father warns against the dangerous illusion that peace can be secured through fear, force or preparation for war. True peace is built instead on justice, trust and respect for human dignity.

Finding Our Voice Together

In such a troubled world, it is easy to feel small or powerless. But Bishop Michael insists that the Christian community is not powerless. Together, we have a voice that can speak out against injustice, a voice that can say “stop,” and a voice that can proclaim a hope that is active, courageous and transformative.

If we fail to stand together for the values we profess, he cautions, we risk drifting into a future shaped by misery and pain. As we step into 2026, this is the moment to raise our voices with renewed conviction and allow the hope we have prayed for and reflected upon to become real and effective.

Hope Taking Shape in Our Diocese

Looking closer to home, Bishop Michael points to a major moment of hope for the Archdiocese of Armagh: the Diocesan Congress on Youth, Family and Faith, taking place in March. Over the past year, parishes and schools across the diocese have been deeply involved in listening, reflecting and discerning how young people and families can be placed at the heart of pastoral planning for the years ahead.

This Congress represents a concrete step in turning hope into action, rooted in the voices and experiences of our communities.

A Prayer for the Year Ahead

Bishop Michael concludes his New Year message with a prayer that the seeds of hope planted during the Jubilee Year, in our diocese and across the world, will begin to bear fruit in the coming year. May 2026 be a year in which our Christian witness helps to build a world more worthy of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

Bishop Michael prays that everyone will experience a peaceful, blessed and hope-filled New Year.

+ Bishop Michael Router

Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh