Pope Leo Holy Mass, Paysandu, Uruguay  07.11.26 

Apostolic Journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru

Dear brothers and sisters,

The readings we have just heard describe the figure of a righteous man whom the Lord helps and strengthens so that he may carry out the mission entrusted to him. In his Letter to the Philippians, Saint Paul expresses gratitude for the community’s support of his missionary work, conscious that, in his poverty, God is his only wealth and that divine providence is made manifest through the brothers and sisters to whom he has been sent.

The Psalm, for its part, calls blessed those who love the law of the Lord and whose deeds are consistent with their faith. Similarly, in the Gospel, Jesus emphasizes the honest man who serves God and who places the Lord at the center of his life, remaining faithful in everything entrusted to him, whether it be great or small.

Today, as we gather here in Paysandú to celebrate the Eucharist — rejoicing to see so many members of the Church in Uruguay assembled around the same table, together with pilgrims from neighbouring countries — the Liturgy of the Word invites us to recall the presence of so many people of faith who came to the Río de la Plata region. From the earliest days of evangelization on this continent, they arrived in the name of the Lord to proclaim the great joy they themselves had experienced in encountering Christ. Like the angels who appeared to the shepherds (cf. Lk 2:10), they joyfully shared the Good News of the Gospel, expressing their faith through works of charity and mercy.

In this celebration, we also wish to remember and give thanks to God for the life and ministry of a son of this land: Blessed Jacinto Vera, Bishop of Montevideo, who bore faithful witness to the faith he proclaimed through generous charity and total dedication to the apostolic mission. He widely exercised his pastoral zeal, sparing no sacrifice. For instance, he often travelled on horseback to care for the sick, despite the great distances, the dangers of the journey, and the harsh weather. The “gaucho bishop” travelled the length and breadth of Uruguay three times, bringing faith and hope to its people. During the historic Siege of Paysandú in 1864, Bishop Vera took up residence on the Isla de la Caridad, across from the besieged city, to care for refugees and the wounded on both sides. He remained there until the siege ended, accompanying his people and pleading in the name of God for the armies of brothers to embrace one another in fraternal love.

Dear brothers and sisters, today it is our turn to continue the legacy left to us by these sowers of the Gospel. We must do so bearing in mind the word of God: with justice, honesty and faithfulness, recognizing that the message we proclaim does not belong to us. It is a treasure we have received from the Lord, and we carry it in earthen vessels (cf. 2 Cor 4:7).

Three symbols that characterize this region can help us reflect on the treasure of faith we have received and the mission now entrusted to us. The first is the bridge; the second the palm groves; and the third is the mate drink.

In this city of Paysandú stands the General Artigas International Bridge, which spans the Uruguay River, uniting two neighbouring countries. It is not difficult to imagine the benefits a bridge brings: openness, communication and exchange.  That is why it is so important to be builders of bridges! This is the vocation to which we are all called: to build bridges, strengthen bonds, unite, communicate and share the joy of faith, as Blessed Jacinto Vera did, “whether the time is favourable or unfavourable” (2 Tim 4:2).

Moreover, a bridge needs solid foundations if it is to withstand even the strongest currents. Indeed, just as a house built on rock stands firm in the midst of a storm, while one built on sand is in danger of collapsing (cf. Mt 7:24-27), so too a bridge needs proper foundations to withstand the force of wind and water. Whenever you go down to the riverbank and see the bridge, remember that this symbol represents us and reminds us of the importance of a solid Christian formation. We need to be well prepared to give an account of our faith to anyone who asks (cf. 1 Pet 3:15) and not allow ourselves to be carried away “by all kinds of strange teachings” (Heb 13:9). Only in this way can we become instruments of unity and bonds of charity.

The second symbol that characterizes and embellishes this land is the palm groves. The Book of Psalms tells us that “the righteous flourish like the palm tree” (Ps 92:12). This tree can withstand strong winds, has deep roots, rises straight toward the sky in search of light, and produces the sweet yatay fruit. This is a beautiful image of our origin and the destiny to which we are called: to take root in Christ, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End of our lives, so that, by remaining united to him, we may bear good fruit (cf. Jn 15:5).

At the same time, we observe that palm trees in this region do not stand alone, but form groves; there are many of them, yet they are neither alone nor far apart. Likewise, the Church is a community of brothers and sisters that sinks its roots and draws from a common spring: the word of God, the sacraments, prayer and charitable works. Together, her faithful lift their eyes to praise Christ — the dawn from on high, whose light guides humanity’s steps along the path of peace (cf. Lk 1:78-79).

Finally, let us consider a symbol found in every home in this country, in every place of study and work, and at every gathering of friends. I am referring to mate, that drink so characteristic of South America, whose profound meaning you can explain better than I can. Surely, many of you enjoyed mate on your way to this celebration today and will have some again on your journey home. Mate has even made its way to Rome!

Mate is a sign of familiarity, friendship and encounter. It teaches us to share and to be together, strengthening the bonds that unite us as brothers and sisters. It is a sign of welcome, integration and shared values. “Drinking mate” is a ritual rich in symbolism, in which dialogue takes place without words and every detail holds its own meaning. I also think of those moments when one drinks mate alone, silently and prayerfully. In those moments of solitude, how often have so many of you entrusted to God your concerns and needs, your deepest desires and longings!

Dear brothers and sisters, we must reflect on these symbols that we share, which give us identity and a sense of belonging, which speak to us of our origins and point us toward the future. Faith, too, has been part of the life of the Uruguayan people since their earliest days, and it must be passed on to future generations with creative courage.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us of the importance of being faithful to the gifts we have received: “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much” (Lk 16:10). Many men and women, like Bishop Jacinto Vera, lived out these words. Faithful to the vocation they had received, they sowed the seeds of the Gospel in the hearts of the Uruguayan people. Those seeds remain alive in the community, but it is essential to continue providing the necessary conditions for them to grow and reach their full potential. This involves continuing to educate children and young people in the faith, accompanying families, supporting the elderly and carrying out works of charity.

Dear brothers and sisters, I encourage you to carry forward the mission of evangelization with enthusiasm. Be bridges, so that many may encounter Jesus.  Be a fraternal community that comes together and shares life, projects, dreams and hopes, especially with those most in need. Be a community of prayer that maintains an ongoing dialogue with the Lord as a friend speaks to a friend (cf. Jn 15:15). Christ is counting on all of you! Christ is counting on you!

May our heavenly Mother, Our Lady of the Thirty-Three, protect you on your journey through life and always guide you to an encounter with her Son, Jesus.

07.11.26 m

Pope Leo Holy Mass, Paysandu, Uruguay  07.11.26 

FAMINE

Pope Francis

Hunger

Hunger is an injustice that destroys men and women because they have nothing to eat, even if there is a lot food available in the world. Human exploitation; different forms of slavery; recently I saw a film shot inside a prison where migrants are locked up and tortured to turn them into slaves. This is still happening 70 years after the Declaration of Human Rights. Cultural colonization. This is exactly what the Devil wants, to destroy human dignity – and that is why the Devil is behind all forms of persecution.

01.06.18

Pope Leo Holy Mass 05.11.26 

For the Cardinals and Bishops who have died over the past year

“If anyone serves me, they must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also” (Jn 12:26).  These words of Jesus speak directly to our hearts, calling us to follow him along the path that he himself has walked: the path to glory through the cross.  Along this journey — on which trials and sufferings are not spared us — we are guided and sustained by a promise: that of a communion over which death has no power.  Indeed, whoever follows Christ becomes his servant and will always be where he is, precisely because they have followed his path.  Hence Saint Paul affirms: “If we have died with him, we will also live with him” (2 Tim 2:11).  Dear friends, this certainty of faith and hope inspires our celebration for the repose of the souls of the Cardinals and Bishops who have left us during the past year.  We wish to pray to the Lord for them, that he may reward his faithful servants.

Our prayerful remembrance invites us to reflect on the spiritual value of memory.  As she was taking leave of her sons, Augustine and Navigius, shortly before her death, Saint Monica said: “One thing only I ask of you, that you remember me at the altar of the Lord, wherever you may be” (Saint Augustine, Confessions, IX, 11, 27).  Here the mystery of death is linked to prayer for the dead, which the Church has practised from her earliest beginnings as one of her fundamental duties.

In the light of the word of God, then, we can briefly reflect on two truths that illuminate our prayer for the deceased: hope in the resurrection and the communion of saints.

The account of Judas Maccabeus that we heard in the first reading (2 Macc 12:43-46) helps us reflect on the resurrection.  After some of his companions, who had been guilty of idolatry, fell in battle, Judas entrusted them to God’s mercy and arranged for a sin offering to be made on their behalf, so that they might be absolved of their sin.  This action rests on the certainty that the communion we experience with one another on earth, despite its limitations and failings, does not come to an end when it is placed in God’s hands.  The testimony of the Maccabees thus anticipates what is found in fulfilment in the Christian liturgy.  For our remembrance of our departed brothers and sisters at the altar of the Lord is founded on the promise that our life, in Christ, is not lost, because it has been redeemed.

Judas’s action is first and foremost an act of faith, because he offered his sacrifice “in the firm hope that those who had died would rise again” (v. 44).  In the light of Jesus, who is himself the author of the resurrection, we too pray for our departed in virtue of the great hope bestowed upon us in the Paschal Mystery.  For, as Scripture emphasises, if there were no resurrection, it would be futile to pray for the dead (cf. v. 44).  The Apostle Paul likewise issues this earnest declaration: “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain” (1 Cor 15:13-14).

Dear friends, to pray for the repose of the dead is to celebrate life — firstly the risen life of Christ the Lord, and then, by his grace, our own life, which rises again in him.  The Eucharistic sacrifice is the memorial of his passover, through which he saved us by giving himself for us.  Let us not, therefore, allow the remembrance of the dead to become mere nostalgia.  In faith, let us contemplate the mystery of death without fear, because the Lord is alive, awaits us and has already prepared a place for us in his Father’s house (cf. Jn 14:2-3).

The Church celebrates this act of entrustment and hope within the communion of saints.  When we pray for the dead, we do so not only for them, but also with them, drawn into a reciprocity that the Holy Spirit brings to life in our hearts.  The Church is the mystery of communion between Christ, the head, and us, his members: from him we receive life.  This communion unites the blessed spirits who already contemplate the face of God with all those who, in heaven or on earth, are journeying toward that radiant goal.

Dear friends, in Christ, death does not dissolve our bonds. Rather, it transfigures them into a new dimension, which can be understood only in the mystery of his love, given to the very end on the cross and poured out after his paschal victory.  By welcoming the charity of the risen Lord in the holy Eucharist, let us therefore preserve and nurture this communion throughout our journey, so that when our own hour comes, we too may receive the prayers of our brothers and sisters still on pilgrimage and rejoice with all the saints in the joy of our heavenly homeland.

05.11.26

Pope Leo General Audience 04.11.26  

How do we receive the Word of God? The response is clear: As one receives Jesus Christ. The Church tells us that Jesus is present in the Scripture, in His Word.

Always carry a small Gospel with you in your purse, in your pocket, and read a passage from the Gospel during the day. Not so much to learn something, but mostly to find Jesus, because Jesus actually is in His Word, in His Gospel.  Every time I read the Gospel, I find Jesus.  - Pope Francis 01.09.14

Daily Readings - read the entire New Testament over a 2 year period (reading plan courtesy of Gideon International)

The Bible Online

Thank you, Francis

Every month, you have invited us to pray with you for the challenges of humanity and the mission of the Church, teaching us to learn compassion for others from the heart of Christ. Thank you, Francis, for your life and your witness.

Your Worldwide Prayer Network.

Pope Francis Easter Message and Urbi et Orbi Blessing   20.04.25

Easter Sunday

for the full transcript click on the picture link above

Pope Francis

Care for Our Common Home 

- Laudato Si'

Pope Francis 

Refugees and Migrants

Pope Francis

 Marriage

Pope Francis - The ‘foreverness’ and beauty of Love 

Pope Francis - The Family in the Light of the Word of God

Pope Francis 

Fraternity

Pope Francis

Compassion

Pope Francis

Happiness

Pope Leo Holy Mass 05.11.26

For the Cardinals and Bishops who have died over the past year  

Pope Francis Message for the 58th World Day of Peace 01.01.25