Christian World | Pope Leo XIV has chosen "The love of Christ sends us forth" (2 Cor 5:14) as the theme of the 101st World Mission Day on October 24, 2027, the Vatican said

ACW | October 31, 2026 — Pope Leo XIV has chosen "The love of Christ sends us forth" as the theme of the 101st World Mission Day, the Vatican's Dicastery for Evangelization said on Saturday.

World Mission Day 2027 falls on Sunday, October 24, 2027, according to the statement from the dicastery's Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches. The theme is taken from St Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians (5:14).

The statement describes Christ's love as the force behind proclaiming the Gospel and being a neighbour to all, urging believers to reach out to the lonely, the poor and those who suffer. The Pope's message for the day will be published at the start of 2027.

It also recalled the Pope's 2026 World Mission Day message: "If unity is the condition of mission, love is its essence." The new theme "speaks to the very heart of the Christian mission," the statement said, according to Vatican News.

Background: The four Pontifical Mission Societies — the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Holy Childhood Association, the Society of St Peter the Apostle and the Pontifical Missionary Union — support the young Churches, the dicastery said. Indonesian churches have announced a plan to send 30,000 missionaries by 2033; read ACW's report.

Why it matters: The Pope's message for World Mission Day 2027 will guide reflection, missionary outreach and formation in Christian communities, the dicastery said; the Pontifical Mission Societies promote missionary prayer, formation and charity.

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Sources: Holy See Press Office — Dicastery for Evangelization statement on the World Mission Day 2027 theme; Vatican News — Theme for World Mission Day 2027

Photo: Vatican Media