Pope John Paul II, the late head of the Holy See, which is the governing organ of Vatican City and the Roman Catholic Church, commenced an important conversation with women on January 1,1995. On that day, he delivered the annual World Day of Peace message, inviting women “to become teachers of peace with their whole being and in all their actions.” This statement, along with many others made by the Pope that year, was directed to women and was about women.

With international attention focused on women, the 1995 papal statement gave an unprecedented depth of insight on the topic of women and peace. The purpose of this Article is to compare and contrast Pope John Paul II’s message on women and peace with Security Council Resolution 1325 and a 2002 study prepared by the Secretary-General, entitled Women, Peace and Security.