Dear brother Cardinals and Bishops,

Dear brothers and sisters!

Today we renew the beautiful custom, on the occasion of the Commemoration of all the faithful departed, of celebrating the Eucharist in memory of the Cardinals and Bishops who left us during the past year, and we offer it with great affection for the elected soul of Pope Francis, who passed after opening the Holy Door and imparting the Easter Blessing to Rome and the world. Thanks to the Jubilee, this celebration – the first for me – acquires a characteristic flavour – the flavour of Christian hope.

The Word of God we have just heard enlightens us. First and foremost, with a great biblical icon that, we might say, encapsulates the meaning of this Holy Year: the account by Luke of the disciples of Emmaus (Lk 24, 13-35). In it, we find a vivid representation of the pilgrimage of hope, which passes through the encounter with the Risen Christ. The starting point is the experience of death, and in its worst form: a violent death that kills the innocent and thus leaves us discouraged, disheartened and desperate. How many people – how many “little ones”! – even in our times suffer the trauma of this fearful death, disfigured by sin. For this death, we cannot and must not say “laudato si’”, “praise to You”, because God the Father does not want it, and he sent his Son to the world to free us from it. It is written: Christ had to endure these sufferings in order to enter into his glory (cf. Lk 24:26) and to give us eternal life. He alone can can bear upon himself and within himself this corrupt death without being corrupted by it. He alone has the words of eternal life (cf. Jn 6:68) – we confess this with trepidation here near the tomb of Saint Peter – and these words have the power to rekindle faith and hope in our hearts (cf. v. 32).

When Jesus takes the bread in his hands, which had been nailed to the cross, delivers the blessing, breaks the bread and offers it, the disciples’ eyes open, faith blossoms in their heart, and with faith, a new hope. Yes! It is no longer the hope they had before, and which they had lost. It is a new reality, a gift, a grace of the Risen One: it is paschal hope.

Just as the life of the Risen Jesus is no longer what it was before, but is entirely new, created by the Father with the power of the Spirit, so the hope of the Christian is not human hope, it is neither that of the Greeks nor that of the Jews, it is not based on the wisdom of philosophers or on the justice that comes from the law, but solely and totally on the fact that the Crucified One is risen and appeared to Simon (cf. Lk 24:34), to the women and to the other disciples. It is a hope that does not look to the earthly horizon, but beyond, to God, to that height and depth from which the Sun rose to enlighten those who are in darkness and in the shadow of death (cf. Lk 1:78-79).

Then, yes, we can sing: “Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death”.[1] The love of the Crucified and Risen Christ has transfigured our death: He has turned it from an enemy into a sister, he has tamed it. And faced with it, we “may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Ts 4:13). Certainly, we mourn when a loved one leaves us. We are distraught when a human being, especially a child, a “little one”, a fragile person, is snatched away by illness or, worse, by human violence. As Christians we are called to bear with Christ the burden of these crosses. But we are not as sad as those who have no hope, because even the most tragic death cannot prevent our Lord from welcoming our soul in his arms and transforming our mortal body, even the most disfigured, in the image of his glorious body (cf. Phil 3:21).

For this reason, Christians do not call burial places “necropolises” or “cities of the dead”, but “cemeteries”, which literally means “dormitories”, places where one rests awaiting resurrection. As the psalmist prophesies, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for thou alone, O Lord, makest me dwell in safety” (Ps 4:8).

Dear friends, beloved Pope Francis and the brother Cardinals and Bishops for whom we offer the Eucharistic sacrifice lived, bore witness to and taught this new, paschal hope. The Lord called to them and made them shepherds in his Church, and with their ministry they – to use the language of the Book of Daniel – “turned many to righteousness” (cf. Dn 12:3), that is, they led them on the path of the Gospel with the wisdom that comes from Christ, who for us became wisdom, justice, sanctification and redemption (cf. 1 Cor 1:30). May their souls be washed of every stain and may they shine like stars in heaven (cf. v. 3). And may their spiritual encouragement reach us, still pilgrims on earth, in the silence of prayer: “Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my help and my God” (Ps 42: 6, 12).

[1] Saint Francis of Assisi, Canticle of the Sun

03.11.25

Pope Leo Holy Mass 03.11.25 

in suffrage for the late Pope Francis and for the deceased Cardinals and Bishops 

Pope Leo Angelus 02.11.25 

Commemoration of all the Faithful departed

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 General Audience 05.11.25  

Watch Live from 9.50 Rome Time

Pope Leo Holy Mass 02.11.25

Commemoration of all the Faithful departed

Excerpt below, for the full transcript click on the picture link above

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We have gathered here to celebrate the Commemoration of all the faithful departed. We do so especially for those buried in this place, and with particular affection for our own loved ones. Although they left us on the day when they died, we continue to carry them with us in our hearts, and their memory remains always alive within us amid our daily lives. Often, something brings them to mind, and we recall experiences we once shared with them. Many places, even the fragrance of our homes, speak to us of those we have loved and who have gone before us, vividly maintaining their memory for us.

Today, however, we are not gathered merely to commemorate those who have departed from this world. Our Christian faith, founded upon Christ’s Paschal mystery, helps us to experience our memories as more than just a recollection of the past but also, and above all, as hope for the future. It is not so much about looking back, but instead looking forward towards the goal of our journey, towards the safe harbor that God has promised us, towards the unending feast that awaits us. There, around the Risen Lord and our loved ones, we hope to savor the joy of the eternal banquet. As we just heard from the prophet Isaiah: “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food… He will swallow up death forever” (25: 6,8).

This hope for the future brings to life our remembrance and prayer today. This is not an illusion for soothing the pain of our separation from loved ones, nor is it mere human optimism. Instead, it is the hope founded on the Resurrection of Jesus who has conquered death and opened for us the path to the fullness of life. As I said in a recent catechesis, the Lord is “the destination of our journey. Without his love, the voyage of life would become a wandering without a goal, a tragic mistake with a missed destination… The Risen One guarantees our arrival, leading us home, where we are awaited, loved and saved” (General Audience, 15 October 2025).

02.11.25 m

Pope Leo Holy Mass 01.11.25

All Saints Day

Excerpt below, for the full transcript click on the picture link above

On this Solemnity of All Saints, it is a great joy to include Saint John Henry Newman among the Doctors of the Church, and, at the same time, on the occasion of the Jubilee of the World of Education, to name him, together with Saint Thomas Aquinas, as co-Patron of the Church’s educational mission. Newman’s impressive spiritual and cultural stature will surely serve as an inspiration to new generations whose hearts thirst for the infinite, and who, through research and knowledge, are willing to undertake that journey which, as the ancients said, takes us per aspera ad astra, through difficulties to the stars.

The lives of the saints teach us that it is possible to live passionately amidst the complexity of the present, without neglecting the apostolic mandate to “shine like stars in the world” (Phil 2:15). On this solemn occasion, I wish to say to teachers and educational institutions: “Shine today like stars in the world” through your authentic commitment to the collective search for truth and to sharing it with generosity and integrity. Indeed, you do so through your service to young people, especially the poor, and your daily witness to the fact that “Christian love is prophetic: it works miracles” (Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te, 120).

The Jubilee is a pilgrimage of hope, and all of you, in the great field of education, know well how much hope is an indispensable seed! When I reflect on schools and universities, I think of them as laboratories of prophecy, where hope is lived, and constantly discussed and encouraged.

This is also the meaning of the Beatitudes proclaimed in today’s Gospel. The Beatitudes bring with them a new interpretation of reality. They are both the path and the message of Jesus the Teacher. At first glance, it seems impossible to declare as blessed those who are poor, or those who hunger and thirst for justice, the persecuted or the peacemakers. Yet, that which seems inconceivable in the world’s thinking is filled with meaning and light when brought into contact with the Kingdom of God. In the saints, we see this kingdom approaching and becoming present among us. Saint Matthew rightly presents the Beatitudes as a teaching, depicting Jesus as a Master, who transmits a new perspective on things, which is reflected in his own journey. The Beatitudes, however, are not just another teaching; they are the teaching par excellence. In the same way, the Lord Jesus is not just one of many teachers, he is the Master par excellence. Moreover, he is the Educator par excellence. We are his disciples and are in his “school.” We learn how to discover in his life, namely in the path he has travelled, a horizon of meaning capable of shining a light on all forms of knowledge. May our schools and universities always be places of listening to the Gospel and putting it into practice!

01.11.25

Pope Leo – October  2025

For collaboration between different religious traditions

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 01.11.25 

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