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Dear brothers and sisters!

“My soul magnifies the Lord.” These words, with which we responded to the First Reading, spring from the heart of the Virgin Mary as she presents to Elizabeth the fruit of her womb, Jesus, the Saviour. After her, Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, and the elderly Simeon will sing in praise of Christ. These three canticles mark the Church’s daily praise in the Liturgy of the Hours. They are the gaze of ancient Israel, which sees its promises fulfilled; they are the gaze of the Church, the Bride, reaching out to her divine Bridegroom; they are, implicitly, the gaze of all humanity, which finds an answer to its longing for salvation.

One hundred and fifty years ago, by laying the foundation stone of this Shrine, on the site where the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD had buried the signs of a great civilization under ash, preserving them for centuries, Saint Bartolo Longo, together with his wife Countess Marianna Farnararo De Fusco, laid the foundations not only of a temple, but of an entire Marian city. Thus he expressed his awareness of God’s plan, which Saint John Paul II, speaking in this place of grace on 7 October 2003, at the conclusion of the Year of the Rosary, relaunched for the Third Millennium, in the context of the new evangelization: “Today”, he said, “as in the times of ancient Pompeii, it is vital to proclaim Christ to a society that is drifting away from Christian values and even forgetting about them”.

Exactly one year ago, when I was entrusted with the ministry of the Successor of Peter, it was precisely the day of the Supplication to the Virgin, this beautiful day of the Supplication to Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii! So, I had to come here, to place my service under the protection of the Holy Virgin. My choice of the name Leo places me in the footsteps of Leo XIII, who, among his other merits, also developed an extensive Magisterium on the Holy Rosary. Added to all this is the recent canonization of Saint Bartolo Longo, apostle of the Rosary. This context provides us with a key to reflecting on the Word of God we have just heard.

The Gospel of the Annunciation introduces us to the moment at which the Word of God is incarnated in Mary’s womb. From this womb radiates the Light that gives full meaning to history and to the world. The greeting that the angel Gabriel addresses to the Virgin is an invitation to rejoice: “Hail, full of grace” (Lk 1:28; cf. Zeph 3:14). Yes, the Hail Mary is an invitation to joy: it tells Mary, and through her all of us, that upon the ruins of our humanity, tested by sin and therefore ever prone to oppression, abuse and war, the caress of God has come, the caress of mercy, which takes on a human face in Jesus. Mary thus becomes the Mother of Mercy. A disciple of the Word and an instrument of His Incarnation, she truly reveals herself to be “full of grace”. Everything in her is grace! By offering her own flesh to the Word, she too becomes, as the Second Vatican Council teaches, following Saint Augustine, “the mother of the members of Christ … having cooperated by charity that faithful might be born into the Church, who are members of that Head” (Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, 53; cf. Saint Augustine, De S. Virginitate, 6). In Mary’s “Let it be to me”, not only Jesus is born, but also the Church, and Mary becomes both the Mother of God – Theotòkos – and Mother of the Church.

What a great mystery! Everything happens in the power of the Holy Spirit, who overshadows Mary and makes her virginal womb fruitful. This moment in history possesses a tenderness and a power that draw the heart and lift it to that contemplative height where the prayer of the Holy Rosary takes root. A prayer which, having arisen and developed progressively during the second millennium, has its roots in the history of salvation, and finds its prelude precisely in the Angel’s greeting to the Virgin. “Hail Mary”! The repetition of this prayer in the Rosary is like an echo of Gabriel’s greeting, an echo that spans the centuries and guides the believer’s gaze to Jesus, seen through the eyes and heart of His Mother. Jesus adored, contemplated, and assimilated in each of His mysteries, so that with Saint Paul we may say: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:19).

Preceded by the proclamation of the Word of God, nestled between the Our Father and the Glory Be, the Hail Mary repeated in the Holy Rosary is an act of love. Is it not characteristic of love to repeat, without tiring: “I love you”? An act of love which, through the beads of the rosary, as is clearly seen in the Marian painting in this Shrine, leads us back to Jesus and brings us to the Eucharist, “the fount and apex of the whole Christian life” (Lumen gentium, 11). Saint Bartolo Longo was convinced of this when he wrote: “The Eucharist is the living Rosary, and all the mysteries are found in the Holy Sacrament in an active and vital form” (The Rosary and New Pompeii, 1914, p. 86). He was right. In the Eucharist, the mysteries of Christ’s life are all found, so to speak, concentrated in the memorial of His sacrifice and in His real presence. The Rosary has a Marian character, but a Christological and Eucharistic heart (cf. Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 1). If the Liturgy of the Hours marks the rhythm of the Church’s praise, the Rosary marks the rhythm of our life, continually bringing it back to Jesus and the Eucharist.

Generations of believers have been shaped and sustained by this prayer, which is simple and popular, yet at the same time capable of reaching mystical heights and serving as a treasure-trove of the most essential Christian theology. For what could be more essential than the mysteries of Christ, than His holy Name, spoken with the tenderness of the Virgin Mary? It is in this Name, and in no other, that we can be saved (cf. Acts 4:12). By repeating it in every Hail Mary, we in some way experience the home of Nazareth, almost hearing once more the voices of Mary and Joseph during the long years when Jesus lived with them. We also experience the Upper Room, where the Apostles, together with Mary, awaited the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This is what the first reading pointed out to us. How can we fail to imagine that, in that time between the Ascension and Pentecost, Mary and the Apostles vied with one another in recalling the various moments of Jesus’ life? Not a single detail was to be overlooked! Everything was to be remembered, assimilated, imitated. Thus was born the Church’s contemplative journey, of which, in the likeness of the Liturgical Year, the Rosary offers a synthesis in the daily meditation on the holy Mysteries. The Rosary has rightly been considered a compendium of the Gospel, which Saint John Paul II wished to integrate with the Luminous Mysteries. This dimension was also very much alive in Saint Bartolo Longo, who offered pilgrims profound meditations to save the Holy Rosary from the temptation of mechanical recitation and to ensure it retained the biblical, Christological and contemplative spirit that must characterize it.

Sisters and brothers, if the Rosary is “prayed” and, I dare say, “celebrated” in this way, it is also, as a natural consequence, a wellspring of charity. Charity towards God, charity towards neighbour: two sides of the same coin, as the second reading reminded us, taken from the First Letter of Saint John, concluding with the exhortation: ‘Let us not love in word or speech, but in deed and in truth’ (1 Jn 3:18). For this reason, Saint Bartolo Longo was an apostle of the Rosary and, at the same time, an apostle of charity. In this Marian city, he took in orphans and the children of prisoners, showing the regenerative strength of love. Here even the smallest and the weakest are welcomed and cared for in the Works of the Sanctuary. The Rosary directs our eyes towards the needs of the world, as the Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae emphasized, proposing in particular two intentions that remain of pressing relevance: the family, which is suffering from the weakening of the marital bond, and peace, threatened by international tensions and by an economy that prioritizes the arms trade over respect for human life.

When Saint John Paull II proclaimed the Year of the Rosary – next year will mark a quarter of a century since then – he wished to place it in a special way under the gaze of Our Lady of Pompeii. Times have not improved since then. The wars still being fought in so many regions of the world call for a renewed commitment, not only economic and political, but also spiritual and religious. Peace is born in the heart. The same Pope, in October 1986, gathered the leaders of the major religions in Assisi, inviting everyone to pray for peace. On several occasions, including recently, both Pope Francis and I have asked the faithful throughout the world to pray for this intention. We cannot resign ourselves to the images of death that the news presents to us every day. From this Shrine, whose façade Saint Bartolo Longo conceived as a monument to peace, we faithfully raise our supplication today. Jesus told us that prayer offered in faith can obtain anything (cf. Mt 21:22). And Saint Bartolo Longo, reflecting on Mary’s faith, describes it as “almighty by grace”. Through her intercession, may the God of peace pour out an overflowing abundance of mercy, touching hearts, soothing grudges and fratricidal hatred, and enlightening those who bear the special responsibilities of governance.

Brothers and sisters, no earthly power will save the world, but only the divine power of love, this divine power of love that Jesus, the Lord, has revealed to us and given us. Let us believe in Him, let us hope in Him, let us follow Him!

08.05.26

Brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

As we focus today on a section of Chapter VII of the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Church, let us reflect on one of its defining characteristics: its eschatological dimension. The Church, in fact, journeys through this earthly history always looking towards her final destination, which is the heavenly homeland. This is an essential dimension which, however, we often overlook or downplay, because we are too focused on what is immediately visible and on the more concrete dynamics of the life of the Christian community.

The Church is God’s people journeying through history, which has the Kingdom of God as the purpose of all her action (cf. LG, 9). Jesus initiated the Church precisely by proclaiming this Kingdom of love, justice and peace (cf. LG, 5). We are therefore called to consider the community and cosmic dimension of salvation in Christ and to turn our eyes to this final horizon, to measure and evaluate everything from this perspective.

The Church lives in history in the service of the coming of the Kingdom of God in the world. She proclaims the words of this promise to all and always; she receives a pledge of it in the celebration of the Sacraments, particularly the Eucharist; she puts its logic into practice and experiences it in relationships of love and service. Furthermore, she knows that she is the place and the means where union with Christ is realized “more closely” (LG, 48), whilst at the same time recognizing that salvation can be bestowed by God in the Holy Spirit even beyond her visible boundaries.

In this regard, the Constitution Lumen gentium makes an important statement: the Church is the “universal sacrament of salvation” (LG, 48), that is, the sign and instrument of that fullness of life and peace promoted by God. This means that she does not identify perfectly with the Kingdom of God, but is its seed and beginning, for its fulfilment will be granted to humanity and the cosmos only at the end. Believers in Christ, therefore, walk through this earthly history, marked by the maturation of good but also by injustices and sufferings, without being either deluded or despairing; they live guided by the promise received from the One who will “make all things new” (Rev 21:5). Therefore, the Church realizes her mission between the “already” of the beginning of the Kingdom of God in Jesus, and the “not yet” of the promised and anticipated fulfilment. As the guardian of a hope that enlightens the path, she is also invested with the mission of speaking clearly to reject everything that mortifies life and prevents its development, and to take a position in favour of the poor, the exploited, the victims of violence and war, and all those who suffer in body and in spirit (cf. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 159).

As the sign and sacrament of the Kingdom, the Church is the pilgrim people of God on earth who, drawing precisely on the final promise, reads and interprets the dynamics of history through the Gospel, denouncing evil in all its forms and proclaiming, in word and deed, the salvation that Christ wishes to bring about for all humanity and His Kingdom of justice, love and peace. The Church, therefore, does not proclaim herself; on the contrary, everything within her must point to salvation in Christ.

From this perspective, the Church is called to recognize humbly the human fragility and transience of her own institutions who, despite being at the service of the Kingdom of God, bear the fleeting image of this world (cf. LG, 48). No ecclesial institution can be treated as absolute; indeed, since they exist within history and time, they are called to continual conversion, to the renewal of forms and the reform of structures, to the continual regeneration of relationships, so that they may truly fulfil their mission.

Within the horizon of the Kingdom of God, we must also understand the relationship between the Christians who are carrying out their mission today, and those who have already completed their earthly existence and are in a state of purification or beatitude. Lumen gentium, in fact, affirms that all Christians form a single Church, that there is communion and sharing of spiritual goods founded on the union with Christ of all believers, a fraterna sollicitudo between the earthly Church and the heavenly Church: that communion of saints that is experienced in particular in the liturgy (cf. LG, 49-51). By praying for the departed and following in the footsteps of those who have already lived as disciples of Jesus, we too are sustained on our journey and strengthen our worship of God: marked by the one Spirit and united in the one liturgy, together with those who have gone before us in faith, we praise and give glory to the Most Holy Trinity.

Let us be grateful to the Council Fathers for reminding us of this most important and beautiful aspect of being Christian, and may we strive to cultivate it in our lives.

I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly the groups from Belgium, The Netherlands, Finland, Ghana, Uganda, New Zealand, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Canada and the United States of America. I greet in particular the faculty and students from the University of Florida, Saint Mary’s College and Christendom College and all those participating in the AI Conference at the Gregorian University. Upon all of you, and upon your families, I invoke the joy and peace of the risen Jesus! May God bless you!

06.05.26

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

During the Easter season, like the early Church, we return to the words of Jesus, which reveal their full meaning in the light of his passion, death and resurrection.  What once eluded the disciples or caused them distress now comes back to their minds, warms their hearts and fills them with hope.

The Gospel proclaimed this Sunday presents the Master’s dialogue with his disciples during the Last Supper. In particular, we hear a promise that involves us from this moment onwards in the mystery of his Resurrection. Jesus says: “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn 14:3). The Apostles thus discover that God has a place for everyone. Two of them had already experienced this during their first encounter with Jesus by the river Jordan. Jesus noticed them following him and invited them that afternoon to visit where he was staying (cf. Jn 1:39). Even now, faced with death, Jesus speaks of a home, but this time a very large one. It is the house of his Father and our Father, where there is room for all. The Son describes himself as the servant who prepares the rooms, so that every brother or sister, upon arriving, may find their own room ready and feel as though they have always been longed for and are at last found.

Dear friends, in the old world in which we are still journeying, what attracts attention are exclusive places, experiences accessible only to a few and the privilege of entering where others cannot. In the new world into which the risen One leads us, however, what is most valuable is within everyone’s reach. Yet this does not make it any less attractive. On the contrary, what is open to all now brings joy. Gratitude takes the place of competition; welcome overcomes exclusion; and abundance no longer entails inequality. Above all, no one is mistaken for someone else, and no one is lost. Death threatens to erase one’s name and memory, but in God everyone is fully themselves. Truly, this is what we spend our whole lives searching for, sometimes willing to do anything just to get a little attention and recognition.

“Have faith,” Jesus tells us. That is the secret! “Have faith in God; have faith also in me” (Jn 14:1). It is precisely this faith that frees our hearts from the anxiety of possessing and acquiring, and from the illusion that we must pursue a position of prestige to have worth. Each person already has infinite worth in the mystery of God, which is the true reality. By loving one another as Jesus has loved us, we impart this awareness to one another. This is the new commandment; in this way, we anticipate heaven on earth and reveal to all that fraternity and peace are our calling. Indeed, through love, amidst a multitude of brothers and sisters, each one discovers that they are uniquely made.

Let us pray, then, to Mary Most Holy, Mother of the Church, that every Christian community may be a home open to all and attentive to each person.

Dear brothers and sisters,

The month of May has begun: throughout the Church, the joy of gathering in the name of Mary, our Mother, is renewed, especially by praying the Rosary together.  We relive the experience of those days between Jesus’ Ascension and Pentecost, when the disciples gathered in the upper room to invoke the Holy Spirit.  Mary Most Holy remained in their midst, her heart keeping watch over the fire that animated the prayer of all. I entrust my intentions to you, particularly for communion within the Church and for peace in the world.

Today marks World Press Freedom Day, promoted by UNESCO.  Unfortunately, this right is often violated — sometimes blatantly, sometimes in more subtle ways.  Let us remember the many journalists and reporters who have fallen victim to wars and violence.

I warmly greet all of you — the faithful of Rome and the pilgrims who have come from many countries!

I welcome the teachers — religious and lay — from the schools of the Hermanas Franciscanas de los Sagrados Corazones, as well as the faithful from Madrid, Granada, Minneapolis and Malaysia; and the Peruvians who form the Virgen de Chapi de Arequipa Association in Rome.

I greet the Meter Association, which for thirty years has been committed to defending minors from the scourge of abuse, while engaging both ecclesial and civil communities and promoting education aimed at supporting victims and fostering prevention.  Thank you for your service!

I am pleased to welcome the faithful from Padua, the Gruppo Giovani Valdaso and the Punto Giovani of the Camillian Community of Piossasco, the Catholic Action of the Vicariate of Noale, the young people from Verolanuova and Cadignano, the youth choir of Coredo-Predaia and the students from the Liceo Fardella – Ximenes of Trapani.

I wish everyone a happy Sunday!

03.05.26

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

Today I would like to talk about the Apostolic Journey I made from 13 to 23 April, visiting four African countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

Since the very beginning of my Pontificate, I have thought about a journey in Africa. I thank the Lord for granting me the opportunity to undertake it, as Shepherd, to meet and encourage the people of God; and also to experience it as a message of peace at a moment in history marked by conflicts and serious and frequent violations of international law. And I express my heartfelt thanks to the Bishops and Civil Authorities who welcomed me, and to all those who helped organize the visit.

Providence would have it that the first stop should be the very country where the sites of Saint Augustine are found, namely Algeria. Thus, I found myself, on the one hand, revisiting the roots of my spiritual identity and, on the other, crossing and strengthening bridges that are very important for the world and the Church today: the bridge with the very fruitful age of the Fathers of the Church; the bridge with the Islamic world; and the bridge with the African continent.

In Algeria I received a welcome that was not only respectful but warm, and we were able to experience first-hand and show the world that it is possible to live together as brothers and sisters, even of different religions, when we recognise ourselves as children of the same merciful Father. Furthermore, it was a timely opportunity to learn from the example of Saint Augustine: through his life experience, his writings and his spirituality, he is a teacher in the search for God and for truth. A testimony that is more important than ever today for Christians and for every person.

In the next three countries I visited, the population is instead predominantly Christian, and I therefore found myself immersed in an atmosphere of celebration of the faith and warm welcome, enhanced also by the characteristic traits of the African people. Like my Predecessors, I too experienced something of what happened to Jesus with the crowds in Galilee: He saw them thirsting and hungry for justice, and proclaimed to them: “Blessed are the poor, blessed are the meek, blessed are the peacemakers”, and, reconsigning their faith, said, “You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world” (cf. Mt 5:1-16).

The visit to Cameroon allowed me to reinforce the call to work together for reconciliation and peace, for that country too is, unfortunately, marked by tensions and violence. I am glad to have travelled to Bamenda, in the Anglophone region, where I encouraged people to work together for peace. Cameroon is known as “Africa in miniature”, because of the variety and richness of its natural environment and its resources, but we can also interpret this expression to mean that the great needs of the entire continent are found in Cameroon: the need for a fair distribution of wealth; the need to provide space for the young, overcoming endemic corruption, that of promoting integral and sustainable development, countering the various forms of neo-colonialism with far-sighted international cooperation. I thank the Church in Cameroon and all the Cameroonian people, who welcomed me with such love, and I pray that the spirit of unity which was evident during my visit may be kept alive and guide future choices and actions.

The third leg of the trip was in Angola, a large country south of the equator, with a centuries-long Christian tradition, linked to Portuguese colonization. Like many African countries, after achieving independence, Angola went through a troubled period, which in its case was marked by a long and bloody civil war. In the crucible of this history, God has guided and purified the Church, increasingly converting her in the service of the Gospel, human promotion, reconciliation and peace. A free Church for a free people! In the Marian Sanctuary of Mamã Muxima — which means “Mother of the Heart” — I felt the beating heart of the Angolan people. And in the various meetings I rejoiced to see so many men and women religious of every age, a prophecy of the Kingdom of heaven in the midst of their people; I saw catechists who dedicate themselves fully to the good of the community; I saw the faces of elderly people weathered by toil and suffering yet radiant with the joy of the Gospel; I saw women and men dancing to the rhythm of songs of praise to the Risen Lord, the foundation of a hope that withstands the disappointments caused by ideologies and the empty promises of the powerful.

This hope demands concrete commitment, and the Church has the responsibility, with the witness and courageous proclamation of the Word of God, to recognise the rights of all and to promote their actual respect. With the Angolan civil authorities, but also with those of other countries, I was able to assure them of the Catholic Church’s willingness to continue making this contribution, particularly in the fields of healthcare and education.

The last country I visited was Equatorial Guinea, 170 years after its first evangelisation. With the wisdom of tradition and the light of Christ, the Guinean people have weathered the vicissitudes of their history and, in recent days, in the presence of the Pope, have renewed with great enthusiasm their determination to walk together towards a future of hope.

I cannot forget what happened in the prison in Bata, in Equatorial Guinea: the prisoners sang at the top of their voices a song of thanksgiving to God and to the Pope, asking him to pray “for their sins and their freedom”. I had never seen anything like it. And then they prayed the “Our Father” with me in the pouring rain. A genuine sign of the Kingdom of God! And still in the rain, the great meeting with the young people began in the stadium in Bata. A celebration of Christian joy, with moving testimonies from young people who have found in the Gospel the path to free and responsible growth. This celebration culminated in the Eucharistic celebration the following day,, which fittingly concluded the visit to Equatorial Guinea, as well as to the entire Apostolic Journey.

Dear brothers and sisters, the Pope’s visit is, for the African peoples, a chance to make their voices heard, to express the joy of being God’s people and the hope for a better future, of dignity for each and every one. I am happy to have given them this opportunity, and at the same time I thank the Lord for what they have given me, an immeasurable treasure for my heart and my ministry.

I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly the groups from Ireland, Malta, Norway, Nigeria, India, the Philippines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States of America. Upon all of you, and upon your families, I invoke the joy and peace of the risen Jesus! May God bless you!

29.04.26

Brothers and sisters, good afternoon and happy Sunday!

As we continue our journey through the Easter season, today’s Gospel presents us with Jesus’ comparison of himself to a shepherd and also to the gate of the sheepfold (cf. Jn 10:1–10).

Jesus draws a contrast between the shepherd and the thief. Indeed, he says that “anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit” (v. 1). He goes on to make this even clearer: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (v. 10). The difference is clear: the shepherd has a special bond with his sheep and can therefore enter by the gate of the sheepfold. On the other hand, if someone has to climb over the fence to get in, then he is certainly a thief who wants to steal the sheep.

Jesus is telling us that he is bound to us by a relationship of friendship, for he knows us, calls us by name, guides us, and — just as the shepherd does with his sheep — searches for us when we are lost and binds up our wounds when we are sick (cf. Ezek 34:16). Jesus does not come as a thief to take away our life and our freedom, but to lead us along the paths of righteousness. He does not come to ensnare or deceive our conscience, but to illuminate it with the light of his wisdom. He does not come to taint our earthly joys, but to open them to a fuller and more lasting happiness. Those who entrust themselves to him have nothing to fear, for he does not deprive us of life, but comes to give it to us in abundance (cf. v. 10).

Brothers and sisters, we are invited to reflect on, and especially to be vigilant over, the gate to our heart and our life, because whoever enters may either increase our joy, or steal it from us like a thief. “Thieves” can take many forms. They could be: people who, regardless of appearances, suppress our freedom or fail to respect our dignity; beliefs and biases that prevent us from viewing others and life with serenity; mistaken ideas that can lead us to make negative choices; or superficial and consumeristic lifestyles that leave us empty on the inside and push us to live constantly beyond ourselves. And let us not forget those “thieves” who, by pillaging the earth’s resources, waging blood-thirsty wars, or fueling evil in any form, do nothing but rob each of us of the possibility of a future marked by peace and serenity.

We must ask ourselves: Who do we want to guide us in life? Which “thieves” have tried to break into our fold? Have they succeeded, or have we managed to ward them off?

Today, the Gospel invites us to trust in the Lord. He does not come to take anything from us. On the contrary, he is the Good Shepherd who increases life and offers it to us in abundance. May the Blessed Virgin Mary always accompany us on our journey and intercede for us and for the whole world.

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the tragic incident in Chernobyl, which left a lasting mark on the conscience of humanity. It serves as a warning regarding the inherent risks of using increasingly powerful technologies.  Let us entrust those who died and all who still suffer from the aftermath of the disaster to God’s mercy.  I hope that discernment and responsibility will always prevail at every level of decision-making so that all use of atomic energy may be placed at the service of life and peace.

I now extend my greetings to you, Romans and pilgrims from various countries: welcome!

I greet the Knights and Dames of the Order of Saint George and the European Order of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.  I welcome the children of the “Malva” dance group from Brovary, in Ukraine; the Cantica Sacra Choir from the Archdiocese of Trnava in Slovakia; the faithful from Vienna, Madrid and the Canary Islands; and the teachers of the “São Tomás” School in Lisbon.

I also greet the large group of young people from Val Camonica in the Diocese of Brescia, and the young altar servers from Biadene and Caonada; as well as the faithful from Treviso, Vicenza, Crotone, Cariati, Oria and Lecce; and the participants in the conference of the Association of the Apostles of Divine Mercy.

A special greeting to the family members and friends of the new priests of the Diocese of Rome, whom I ordained this morning in Saint Peter’s Basilica: please continue to accompany these young ministers of the Gospel with your prayers.

I wish everyone a blessed Sunday.

26.04.26 rc

Dear brothers and sisters,

My greetings go in particular to those who were just presented for ordination to the priesthood, your families, the priests of Rome, many of whom were ordained on this fourth Sunday of Easter, and to all present.

This Sunday is full of life! Although death surrounds us, Jesus’ promise is already coming true: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10). We see great generosity and enthusiasm in the willingness of these young men whom the Church calls today to be ordained as priests. As a numerous and diverse community gathered around the one Master, we feel a presence that renews us. It is the Holy Spirit, who unites people and vocations in freedom, so that no one lives for themselves any longer. Every Sunday calls us out of the “tomb” of isolation and seclusion, so that we can meet in the garden of communion where the Risen One is our guardian.

The vocation of these our brothers invites us to reflect upon the priest’s service, which is a ministry of communion. “Life in abundance,” in fact, comes to us in a deeply personal encounter with the person of the Son, but it immediately opens our eyes to our brothers and sisters who are already experiencing, or who are still seeking, the “power to become children of God” (Jn 1:12). This is one secret for the life of the priest. Dear ordinands, the deeper your bond with Christ, the more radical your belonging to all of humanity. There is no opposition, nor competition, between heaven and earth; in Jesus they are united forever. This living and dynamic mystery binds the heart to an indissoluble love: it binds and fills it. Certainly, like the love of spouses, the love that inspires celibacy for the Kingdom of God must also be guarded and constantly renewed, for every true affection matures and becomes fruitful over time. You are called to a specific, delicate and difficult way of loving and, even more so, of allowing yourselves to be loved in freedom. This will make you not only good priests but also honest, helpful citizens, builders of peace and social friendship.

In this regard, it is striking that in the Gospel that was proclaimed (Jn 10:1–10), Jesus refers to aggressive figures and actions: strangers, thieves, and robbers who disregard boundaries and intrude between him and those he loves. They come, Jesus says, “only to steal and kill and destroy” (v. 10). Their voices are different from his own, and are unrecognisable (cf. v. 5). The Lord’s words are full of realism. He knows the cruelty of the world, where he walks with us. With his words, he evokes not only forms of physical aggression, but above all of spiritual aggression. This does not, however, deter him from giving up his life. Denunciation does not become renunciation; danger does not lead to flight. This is another secret for the life of the priest: we must not be frightened by reality. It is the Lord of life who calls us. May the ministry entrusted to you, dear brothers, convey the peace of those who know that they are safe, even amid dangers.

Today the need for security makes people aggressive, causes communities to close in on themselves and leads people to seek out enemies and scapegoats. Fear is often present around us and perhaps within us. May your security not lie in the role you hold, but in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus as well as in your participation, along with your people, in the story of salvation. This salvation is already at work in the many good deeds that are quietly carried out by people of goodwill in the parishes and settings where you will join them as fellow travellers. What you proclaim and celebrate will protect you, even in difficult times. 

In the communities where you will be sent, the risen One is already present, and many have already followed him commendably. You will recognise his wounds and distinguish his voice. You will encounter people who will direct you towards him. These communities will also help you to become saints! For your part, help them to walk together, following Jesus, the Good Shepherd, so that they may become places — gardens — of life that rise anew and share themselves with others. People are often lacking a place where they can understand that it is better and beautiful to be together, and that it is possible to get along. Facilitating encounters, helping to bring together those who would otherwise never meet, and conciliating division is one and the same as celebrating the Eucharist and Reconciliation. Coming together always means planting the Church anew.

At one point in today’s Gospel, Jesus begins to speak about himself using an important image. He was describing himself as the “shepherd,” but those listening seemed not to understand. So he changes the metaphor: “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep” (Jn 10:7). In Jerusalem, there was a gate called exactly that, “the gate of the sheep,” near the pool of Bethesda. Sheep and lambs entered the temple through it, first being immersed in water, and then being destined for sacrifice. This image immediately reminds us of Baptism.

 “I am the gate,” Jesus said. The Jubilee showed us that this image continues to speak to the hearts of millions of people. For centuries, doors — often true portals — have invited people to cross the threshold of the Church. In some cases, the baptismal font was built outside, like the ancient Pool of Bethesda, beneath whose porticoes “lay many invalids — blind, lame, and paralyzed” (Jn 5:3). Dear ordinands, consider yourselves to be part of this suffering humanity, which awaits abundant life. By introducing others to the faith, you will rekindle your own. Together with the baptised faithful, you will cross the threshold of the mystery every day — the threshold bearing the face and name of Jesus. Never hide this holy door. Do not block it; do not be an obstacle to those who wish to enter. “You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering” (Lk 11:52): this is Jesus’ bitter rebuke to those who have hidden the key to a passage that was meant to be open to all.

Today more than ever, especially when statistics seem to indicate a divide between people and the Church, keep the door open! Let people in, and be prepared to go out. This is another secret for your life: you are a channel, not a filter. Many believe they already know what lies beyond the threshold. They carry memories with them, perhaps from a distant past. Often, there is something within them that is alive and has not died out; this draws them in. Other times, however, there is something else within them that still bleeds and repels them. The Lord knows, and he waits. Be a reflection of his patience and tenderness. You belong to everyone and are for everyone! Let this be the fundamental purpose of your mission: to keep the threshold open and direct others to it, without using too many words.

On the other hand, Jesus insists and clarifies: “I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture” (Jn 10:9). He does not stifle our freedom. There are communities that suffocate; some groups are easy to enter but are almost impossible to leave. This is not the case of the Lord’s Church, nor of the community of his disciples. Whoever is saved, says Jesus, can “come in and go out and find pasture.” We all seek shelter, rest and care. The Church’s doors are open, but not to cut us off from life: life does not end in a parish, in an association, in a movement, in a group. Whoever is saved can “go out and find pasture.”

Dear brothers, go out and discover culture, people and life! Marvel at the things that God makes grow without our having sown them. The people you will serve as priests — lay faithful and families, young and old, children and the sick — inhabit pastures that you must come to know. At times it will seem to you that you lack the necessary maps. But the Good Shepherd has them; listen to his very familiar voice. So many people today feel lost! Many feel they can no longer find their bearings. In this regard, there is no more precious testimony than this: “He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake” (Ps 23:2–3). His name is Jesus: “God saves”! You are witnesses to this. “Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Ps 23:6). Dear brothers, sisters, and young people: may it be so!

26.04.26 m

Dear brothers and sisters,

I would like to begin by warmly greeting the local Church of Malabo, along with its pastor. At the same time, I send heartfelt condolences to the entire Archdiocesan community, the brother priests and the family members of your recently deceased Vicar General, Father Fortunato Nsue Esono, whom we remember in this Eucharistic celebration.

I invite you to live this moment of sadness with a spirit of faith, and I trust that, without being swayed by speculation or rash conclusions, the circumstances surrounding his death will be fully clarified.

The readings we have just heard challenge us to ask whether we truly know how to interpret the passages of Scripture that were read today. This question is both serious and providential, because it prepares us to read together the book of history, that is, the pages of our own lives, which God continues to inspire with his wisdom.

When the deacon Philip approached a traveller who was returning from Jerusalem to Africa, he asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” (Acts 8:30). The pilgrim, a eunuch of the Queen of Ethiopia, replied immediately with humble wisdom: “How can I, unless someone guides me?” (v. 31). His question is not only a search for truth, but also an expression of openness and desire. Let us reflect on this man: he is wealthy, like his land, yet he is a slave. The wealth he administers is not his own: all he has is his labour, which benefits others. He is intelligent and cultured, as shown in both his work and prayer, but he is not fully free. This painful reality is marked even on his body: he is, in fact, a eunuch. He cannot bring forth life; all his vitality is placed at the service of a power that controls and rules over him.

Yet, as he returns to his homeland of Africa, which for him has become a place of servitude, the proclamation of the Gospel sets him free. The Word of God that he holds in his hands bears unexpected fruit in his life. Through his encounter with Philip, a witness of the crucified and risen Christ, the eunuch is transformed from a mere reader — a spectator — of Scripture into a protagonist in the very story that captivates him, because it now concerns him personally. The sacred text speaks to him, stirring within him a longing for truth. This African man thus enters into Scripture, which welcomes every reader who seeks to understand God’s word. He steps into salvation history, which embraces every man and woman, especially the oppressed, the marginalised and the least among us. The written word then becomes a lived reality: through Baptism, he is no longer a stranger, but becomes a child of God, our brother in faith. Though a slave and childless, he is reborn into a new and free life in the name of the Lord Jesus. And we speak of his salvation to this day, precisely as we read these Scriptures!

Like him, we too have become Christians through Baptism, receiving the same light, that is, the same faith through which we read the Word of God: to reflect on the prophecies, to pray the psalms, to study the Law and to proclaim the Gospel through our lives. All the texts of Scripture, in fact, reveal their true meaning in faith, because they were written and handed down to us through faith. Reading them, therefore, is always both a personal and an ecclesial act; it is never something done in isolation or in a merely mechanical way.

Together we read Scripture as the shared heritage of the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, who inspired its composition, and by Apostolic Tradition, which has preserved and transmitted it throughout the world. Like the eunuch, we too can come to understand the Word of God with the help of a guide who accompanies us on our journey of faith. Such was the case with the deacon Philip, who “began to speak, and starting with this scripture, proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus” (v. 35). The African pilgrim was reading a prophecy that was fulfilled for him, just as it is fulfilled for us today. The suffering servant spoken of by the prophet Isaiah (cf. Is 53:7–8) is Jesus, whose passion, death and resurrection, redeem us from sin and death. He is the Word made flesh, in whom every word of God finds fulfillment; he reveals its original intention, full meaning and ultimate purpose.

As Christ himself said, “No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God” (Jn 6:46). In the Son, the Father himself reveals his glory: God makes himself seen, heard and touched. Through the actions of Jesus, the Redeemer, he brings to fulfilment what he has always done: giving life. He creates the world, saves it and loves it forever. Jesus reminded those who listened to him of a sign of this constant care: “Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness” (v. 49). He is referring to the experience of the Exodus: a journey of liberation from slavery that nonetheless turned into a grueling forty-year period of wandering. This delay occurred because the people did not believe in the Lord’s promise; they even longed for their life back in Egypt (cf. Ex 16:3). Indeed, under the Pharaoh’s rule, they had food from the land; God, however, led them into the desert, where bread could come only from his providence. Manna, then, is a sign, a blessing and a promise that Jesus comes to fulfill. This ancient symbol now gives way to the sacrament of the new and eternal Covenant: the Eucharist — bread consecrated by the one who came down from heaven to become our nourishment. If those who ate the manna died (cf. Jn 6:49), whoever eats this bread will live forever (cf. v. 51), because Christ is alive! He is the risen One, and he continues to give his life for us.

Through Jesus’ Passover, the definitive exodus, every people is set free from the slavery of evil. As we celebrate this saving mystery, the Lord calls us to make a decisive choice: “Whoever believes has eternal life” (v. 47). In Jesus, we are given an astonishing prospect: God gives himself for us. Do I trust that his love is stronger than my death? By deciding to believe in him, each of us chooses between inevitable despair and the hope that God offers. Our hunger for life and justice is then satisfied by Jesus’ words: “The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (v. 51).

Thank you, Lord! We praise you and bless you, because you chose to become for us the Eucharist, the bread of eternal life, so that we might live forever. Dear friends, at this very moment, as we celebrate this sacrament of salvation, we can joyfully proclaim: Christ is everything for us! In him we find the fullness of life and meaning. “If you are oppressed by injustice, he is justice; if you are in need of help, he is strength; if you fear death, he is life; if you desire Heaven, he is the way; if you are in darkness, he is light” (Saint Ambrose, De Virginitate, 16:99). Our problems do not disappear in the Lord’s presence, but they are illuminated. Just as every cross finds redemption in Jesus, so too the story of our lives finds its meaning in the Gospel. Therefore, today each of us can say: “Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me” (Ps 66:20). He always loves us first. His word is the Good News for us, and we have nothing greater to proclaim to the world. All of us are called to this evangelization from the moment of our Baptism, the sacrament of fraternal unity, the cleansing water of forgiveness and the source of hope. Through our witness, the proclamation of salvation is made visible in action, service and forgiveness — in a word, it becomes the Church!

As Pope Francis taught, “the joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus” (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 1). At the same time, when we share this joy, we also become more aware of the danger of “the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience. Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt” (ibid., 2). In the face of such closed attitudes, it is precisely the Lord’s love that sustains our efforts, especially in the service of justice and solidarity.

For this reason, I encourage all of you, as the living Church in Equatorial Guinea, to carry on the mission of Jesus’ first disciples with joy. As you read the Gospel together, proclaim it with passion, just as the deacon Philip did. And as you celebrate the Eucharist together, bear witness through your lives to the faith that saves, so that God’s word may become good leaven for all.

Dear brothers and sisters,

The time has come for me to depart from Equatorial Guinea and also from Africa at the conclusion of the Apostolic Journey that God has permitted me to make over these past ten days.

I am grateful to the Archbishop, the other Bishops, Monsignor Juan, the clergy and all of you — the people of God journeying in this land. Christ is the light of Equatorial Guinea, and you are salt of the earth and light of the world.

My gratitude also goes to the Civil Authorities of the country and to all who have contributed in various ways to the success of my visit.

I leave Africa with an immeasurable treasure of faith, hope and charity: a great treasure consisting of stories, faces and testimonies, both joyful and sorrowful, which will greatly enrich my life and ministry as the Successor of Peter.

As in the early centuries of the Church, Africa today is called to make a decisive contribution to the holiness and the missionary character of the Christian people. May this be obtained through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, to whom I entrust you all, your families, your communities, your nation and all the people of Africa.

23.04.26

Dear brothers and sisters,

We are gathered in this magnificent Cathedral Basilica, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, Mother of the Incarnate Word and Patroness of Equatorial Guinea, to listen to the Lord’s word and to celebrate the memorial that he has left us as the source and summit of the Church’s life and mission. The Eucharist truly contains every spiritual good of the Church: it is Christ, our Passover, who gives himself to us, he is the living Bread that nourishes us. His presence in the Eucharist reveals God’s infinite love for the entire human family and the way he encounters every woman and every man even today.

I am pleased to be able to celebrate with you and give thanks to the Lord for these 170 years of evangelization in Equatorial Guinea. It is a fitting occasion to recall all the good that the Lord has done, and at the same time, I wish to express my gratitude to the many missionaries, diocesan priests, catechists and lay faithful who have devoted their lives in service to the Gospel.

They have taken up the aspirations, questions and wounds of your people, and illuminated them with the Lord’s word, becoming themselves a sign of God’s love among you. Through the example of their lives, they have played their part in bringing about the Kingdom of God, unafraid of suffering for their fidelity to Christ.

It is a history that you must never forget. On the one hand, it links you to the universal and apostolic Church that came before you. On the other, it has made you protagonists in proclaiming the Gospel and bearing witness to the faith, fulfilling the prophetic words spoken by Pope Saint Paul VI on African soil: “Africans, from now on, you are missionaries to yourselves. The Church of Christ is well and truly planted in this blessed soil” (Homily at the Conclusion of the Symposium Organized by the Bishops of Africa, Kampala, Uganda 31 July 1969).

With this in mind, you are called upon today to follow in the footsteps of the missionaries, pastors and laypeople who have gone before you. Each and every one of you is invited to make a personal commitment that encompasses your entire life, so that the faith — celebrated so joyfully in your communities and in your liturgies — may also nourish your charitable works and the sense of responsibility toward your neighbour, for building up the common good.

Such a commitment requires perseverance; it demands effort and, at times, sacrifice. Yet it is the sign that we are truly the Church of Christ. In fact, the first reading we heard narrates in just a few verses how a Church that fearlessly and joyfully proclaims the Gospel is also a Church that, precisely for this reason, may be persecuted (cf. Acts 8:1–8). Nevertheless, the Acts of the Apostles tells us that, while Christians were forced to flee and were scattered, many drew near to the word of the Lord and could see with their own eyes how those who were sick in body and spirit were healed: these were the miraculous signs of God’s presence, which brought great joy to the whole city (cf. vv. 6–8).

Brothers and sisters, even when faced with personal, family and social situations that are not always favourable, we can trust that the Lord is at work, making the good seed of his Kingdom grow in ways unknown to us, including when everything around us seems barren, and even in moments of darkness. With such confidence, rooted in the power of his love rather than in our own merits, we are called to remain faithful to the Gospel, to proclaim it, to live it fully and to bear witness to it with joy. God will not fail to provide signs of his presence, and just as Jesus told us in the Gospel we heard, he once again will be for us “the bread of life” that satisfies our hunger (cf. Jn 6:35).

What is the hunger we feel? And what does this nation hunger for today? The motto chosen for my visit is “Christ, Light of Equatorial Guinea, Towards a Future of Hope.” Perhaps this is precisely the greatest hunger today. There is hunger for a future imbued with hope that is capable of engendering a new sense of justice and producing fruits of peace and fraternity. This is not an unknown future that we must passively await, but rather one that we ourselves are called to build with God’s grace. The future of Equatorial Guinea depends upon your choices; it is entrusted to your sense of responsibility and to your shared commitment to safeguarding the life and dignity of every person.

It is therefore necessary for all the baptized to feel that they are part of the work of evangelization, and so become apostles of charity and witnesses to a new humanity.

It is a matter of taking part, with the light and strength of the Gospel, in the integral development of this land, in its renewal and in its transformation. The Creator has endowed you with great natural wealth: I urge you to work together so that it may be a blessing for all. May the Lord help you to become a society in which everyone, each according to their respective responsibilities, works ever more fully to serve the common good rather than private interests, bridging the gap between the privileged and the disadvantaged. May there be greater room for freedom, and may the dignity of the human person always be safeguarded. My thoughts go to the poorest, to families experiencing difficulty and to prisoners who are often forced to live in troubling hygienic and sanitary conditions.

Brothers and sisters, there is a need for Christians to take the destiny of Equatorial Guinea into their own hands. For this reason, I would like to encourage you: do not be afraid to proclaim the Gospel and bear witness to it with your lives! Be builders of a future of hope, peace and reconciliation, carrying on the work begun by the missionaries 170 years ago.

May the Immaculate Virgin Mary be with you on this journey. May she intercede for you and help you to become generous and joyful disciples of Christ.

And we also wish to leave the chalice we used to celebrate the Eucharist at this altar as a gift to this community, to this church.  May we always be united in communion with Christ.

22.04.26

Dear brothers and sisters,

In every part of the world, the Church lives as a people who walk as disciples of Christ, our brother and Redeemer. He, the Risen One, illumines for us the path to the Father and with the strength of the Spirit he sanctifies us so that we may transform our way of life in conformity with his love.  This is the Good News, the Gospel that courses through our veins like blood, sustaining us on the journey.  A journey that has brought me here with you today!  In the joy and beauty of our gathering, united in the name of Jesus, let us listen with open hearts to the Word of salvation for it helps us reflect on the motive and purpose for which we follow the Lord.

Indeed, when the Son of God became man, he performed striking miracles in order to manifest the will of the Father: he made light shine in the darkness by giving sight to the blind, he gave a voice to the oppressed by loosening the tongues of the mute, he slaked our thirst for justice by multiplying bread for the poor and weak.  Anyone who heard about these works set out in search of Jesus.  At the same time, the Lord looks into our heart and asks us whether we seek him out of gratitude or for our own self-interest, with calculation or with love.  In fact, he said to those who were following him: “You are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves” (Jn 6:26).  His words reveal the designs of those who do not want to encounter a person, but want to consume things.  The crowd sees Jesus as means to an end, a provider of services.  If he had not given them something to eat, his actions and teachings would not have interested them.

This happens when genuine faith is replaced with superstitious practices, in which God becomes an idol that is sought only when it is advantageous to us and only for as long as it is.  Even the most beautiful gifts of the Lord, which are always for the care of his people, become a pretext, a prize or a bargaining chip, and are misinterpreted by those who receive them.  The Gospel account, then, helps us to understand that there are erroneous motives for seeking Christ, particularly when he is considered to be a guru or a good luck charm.  Even the motivation of the crowd is inadequate: they were not seeking a teacher whom they love, but a leader to applaud for their own advantage.

How different is Jesus’ attitude toward us.  Yet, he does not reject this insincere search, but encourages its conversion.  He does not dismiss the crowd, but invites everyone to examine what stirs in our hearts.  Christ calls us to freedom: he does not want servants or clients, rather he seeks brothers and sisters to whom he can totally dedicate himself.  To respond with faith to this love, it is not enough to hear Jesus speak: one must accept the meaning of his words.  Neither is it enough to see what Jesus does: one must follow and imitate him.  When in the sign of shared bread we see the will of the Savior, who gives himself for us, only then do we draw closer to a true encounter with Jesus, which become discipleship, mission and service.

The admonition that the Lord directs to the crowd is thus transformed into an invitation: “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life” (Jn 6:27).  With these words, Christ expresses his true gift to us: he does not call us to be disinterested in our daily bread, which he multiplies in abundance and teaches us to ask for in prayer.  On the contrary, he teaches us the correct way to search for the bread of life, food which sustains us forever.  The desire of the crowd receives a much greater and more surprising response: Jesus does not give us food that passes away, but bread that lasts because it is the food of eternal life.

His gift sheds light on our current situation.  We can see today how the hope of many people is frustrated by violence, exploited by the overbearing and defrauded by the rich.  Consequently, when injustice corrupts hearts, the bread of all becomes the possession of a few.  In the face of these evils, Christ hears the cry of the people and renews our history by lifting us up from every fall, comforting us in every suffering and encouraging us in our mission.  Just as the Eucharist is the living bread that he never ceases to give us, so too his history knows no end.  For this reason, the risen One opens up our lives through the power of his Spirit and removes the end of our history, that is death.  Christ lives!  He is our Redeemer.  This is the Gospel that we share, making all the people of the earth our brothers and sisters.  This is the proclamation that transforms sin into forgiveness.  This is the faith that saves life!

The Easter witness, therefore, certainly pertains to Christ, the crucified one who is risen, but it also pertains even to us because in him the proclamation of our resurrection finds its voice.  We did not come into the world to die.  We were not born to become slaves either to the corruption of the flesh or that of the soul: every form of oppression, violence, exploitation and dishonesty negates the resurrection of Christ, the supreme gift of our freedom.  This liberation from death, in fact, does not happen only at the end of our days, but every day of our lives.  What must we do to welcome such a gift?  The Gospel itself teaches us: “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (Jn 6:29).  Yes, let us believe!  Today, let us say it together with strength and with gratitude to you, Lord Jesus.  We want to follow you and serve you in our neighbor: your word is our rule of life, the measure of truth.

“Happy are those who walk in the law of the Lord” (Ps 119/118:1).  This is the Psalm we sang.  Dear friends, it is the Lord who marks for us the path for this journey, not our exigencies, nor the current fashion.  For this reason, in light of our discipleship the ecclesial journey is a “synod of resurrection and hope,” which Saint John Paul II affirmed in his Apostolic Exhortation on Africa (Ecclesia in Africa, 13).  Let us proceed in this wise direction!  With the Gospel in your heart, you will have courage in the face of difficulties and disappointments: the way that God has opened for us, never fails.  Indeed, the Lord always walks with us, so that we may continue on his path.  Christ himself guides and strengthens our journey, a journey that we want to learn to live more and more as it should be, that is in a synodal manner.

In this regard, “The Church proclaims the Good News of Christ not only by the proclamation of the Word which she has received from the Lord, but also by the witness of life, thanks to which Christ’s disciples bear witness to the faith, hope and love which dwell in them” (ibid., 55, 55).  Sharing the Eucharist, the bread of eternal life, we are called to serve our people with a dedication that lifts up all who have fallen, rebuilds whenever violence destroys and shares with joy our fraternal bonds.  Through us, the initiatives of divine grace bear good fruit especially in adversity, as the example of the first martyr Stephen shows us (cf. Acts 6: 8-15).

Dear friends, the witness of the martyrs and of the saints encourages us and pushes us onto a path of hope, reconciliation and peace, along which the gift of God becomes the responsibility of the head of the household, in the Christian community, in civil society.  Travelling together, in the light of the Gospel, the Church in Angola grows according to the spiritual fruitfulness that begins from the Eucharist and continues in the integral care of each person and of the entire people.  In particular, the vitality of the vocations that you experience is a sign that you are responding to the Lord’s gift, which is always abundant for those who welcome it with pure hearts.  Thanks to the Bread of Life, which we share today, we can continue on the journey of the whole Church, which has as its destination the Kingdom of God, whose light is faith and whose lifeblood is charity.

Dear brothers and sisters,

This afternoon I will have a final meeting with the Catholic community in Angola, but I would now like to express my profound gratitude to all of you.

Thank you to the bishops, and with them to the priests and deacons, as well as those in consecrated life and the lay faithful, for preparing my visit.

I express sincere gratitude to the Angolan Civil Authorities for their fine organizational efforts.

Angola, remain faithful to your Christian roots! In this way, you will be able to continue contributing ever more effectively to the building up of justice and peace in Africa and throughout the world. Thank you very much!

20.04.26

Dear brothers and sisters,

I celebrate the Eucharist here among you with a grateful heart. Thanks be to God for this gift, and thank you for your warm welcome!

On this third Sunday of Easter, the Lord has spoken to us through the Gospel about the disciples on the road to Emmaus (cf. Lk 24:13-35).  Let us allow ourselves to be illuminated by this word of life.

Two of the Lord’s disciples, with broken and sad hearts, set out from Jerusalem to return to the village of Emmaus.  They had seen the death of Jesus, whom they had faithfully followed.  They were returning home disappointed and disheartened.  On the road, they were “talking with each other about all these things that had happened” (Lk 24:14).  They were compelled to speak of it, to recount once more what they had seen and to share what they had experienced.  In doing so, however, they risked becoming prisoners of their grief and closed off to hope.

Brothers and sisters, in this opening scene of the Gospel, I see a reflection of the history of Angola, of this beautiful yet wounded country, which hungers and thirsts for hope, peace and fraternity.  Indeed, the conversation along the road between the two disciples, who reflected with sorrow on what had happened to their Master, brings to mind the pain that has marked your country: a long civil war with its aftermath of enmities and divisions, of squandered resources and poverty.

When one is long immersed in a history so characterized by pain, one can risk losing hope and remaining paralyzed by discouragement, just like the two disciples.  Indeed, they were walking, yet they remained fixated on the events of three days earlier when they saw the death of Jesus.  They conversed with each other, but without hope of a solution. They continued to speak of what had happened, with the weariness of those who do not know how to start afresh or whether it is even possible to do so.

Dear friends, the Good News of the Lord, even for us today, is precisely this: he is alive, he has risen, and he walks beside us as we journey along the path of suffering and bitterness, opening our eyes so that we may recognize his work and granting us the grace to start afresh and rebuild the future.

The Lord walks alongside the two disappointed disciples, who are running out of hope.  As their travelling companion, he helps them to piece together the fragments of that story, to look beyond their pain, to discover that they are not alone on the journey and that a future, still inhabited by the God of love, awaits them.  When he stops to dine with them, sits at the table and breaks the bread, then “their eyes were opened and they recognized him” (Lk 24:31).

Here, too, is the path laid out for us, for you, dear Angolan brothers and sisters, to begin anew.  On the one hand, there is the certainty that the Lord accompanies us and has compassion on us, and on the other, the commitment that he asks from us.

We experience the Lord’s companionship above all in our relationship with him, in prayer, in listening to his word that sets our hearts ablaze like it did to the hearts of the two disciples.  This takes place especially in the celebration of the Eucharist.  It is here that we encounter God.  For this reason, we must always be vigilant regarding those forms of traditional religiosity that certainly belong to the roots of your culture, but at the same time risk confusing and mixing magical and superstitious elements that do not aid your spiritual journey.  Remain faithful to what the Church teaches, trust your pastors, and keep your gaze fixed on Jesus, who reveals himself in the word and in the Eucharist.  In both we experience that the risen Lord walks beside us and, united to him, we too overcome the “deaths” that besiege us and live as those who have “risen.”

This certainty that we are not alone on the journey includes a generous commitment on our part to sooth wounds and rekindle hope.  Indeed, if the two disciples on the road to Emmaus recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread, this means that we too must recognize him in this way: not only in the Eucharist, but wherever there is a life that becomes like broken bread, wherever someone offers himself or herself as a gift of compassion like him.

The history of your country, the ongoing difficult consequences you endure, the social and economic problems and the various forms of poverty call for the presence of a Church that knows how to walk alongside you and how to heed the cry of its children.  A Church that, with the light of the word and the nourishment of the Eucharist, knows how to rekindle lost hope.  A Church made up of people like you who give of themselves just as Jesus gave of himself in the breaking of the bread for the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.  Angola needs bishops, priests, missionaries, men and women religious, and lay people who carry in their hearts the desire to “break” their own lives and give them to others, to commit themselves to mutual love and forgiveness, to build spaces of fraternity and peace, and to perform acts of compassion and solidarity towards those most in need.

Through the grace of the risen Christ, we can become like this broken bread that transforms reality.  Just as the Eucharist reminds us that we are one body and one spirit, united to the one Lord, so it is possible to build together a country where old divisions are overcome once and for all, where hatred and violence disappear, and where the scourge of corruption is healed by a new culture of justice and sharing.  Only in this way will a promising future be possible, especially for the many young people who have lost hope.

Brothers and sisters, today we need to look to the future with hope and to build the hope of the future. Do not be afraid to do so! The risen Jesus, who walks the path with you and breaks himself as bread for you, encourages you to be witnesses of his Resurrection and protagonists of a new humanity and a new society.

On this journey, dear friends, you can count on the Pope’s closeness and prayers!  But I too know I can count on you, and I thank you!  I entrust you to the protection and intercession of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Muxima, that she may always sustain you in faith, hope and charity.

19.04.26 m

Dear brothers and sisters, peace be with you! It is the peace of Christ, whose presence illuminates our path and calms life’s storms.

We celebrate this Holy Mass at the conclusion of my visit in Cameroon, and I am very grateful for how you have welcomed me and for the moments of joy and faith which we have experienced together.

As we heard in the Gospel, faith does not spare us from tumult and tribulations. At times, it can seem that fear has the upper hand. However, we know that even in these moments, Jesus does not abandon us, just like he did not abandon the disciples on the Sea of Galilee.

Three of the four evangelists recount the episode proclaimed today, each in their own way, with a message suited for their intended audience. Saint Mark (cf. 6:45-52) narrates that the Lord comes to the disciples while they are struggling to row against the strong wind, which ceases as soon as Jesus climbs into the boat with them. Saint Matthew (cf. 14:22-33) adds a detail: Peter wants to go to the Lord by walking on the waves. Once he steps out of the boat, however, he lets himself be overcome by fear and he begins to sink. Christ takes him by the hand, saves him and rebukes him for his incredulity.

In Saint John’s version, which was proclaimed today (cf. 6:16-21), the Savior draws near to the disciples walking on the water and says: “It is I; do not be afraid” (v. 20). The evangelist emphasizes that “it was now dark” (v. 17). According to Jewish tradition, “water” with its depth and mystery, often calls to mind the netherworld, chaos, danger and death. Together with darkness, it evokes the forces of evil, which human beings by their own power are not able to dominate. At the same time, however, by remembering the miracles wrought in the exodus, water is understood as a place of passage, a crossing through which God powerfully frees his people from slavery.

Throughout the ages, the Church has navigated many storms and “strong winds.” We too can identify with the feelings of fear and doubt experienced by the disciples while crossing the lake of Tiberias. Such is our experience in moments when we seem to be sinking, overcome by adverse forces, when everything appears bleak and we feel alone and weak. But it is not so. Jesus is with us always, stronger than any power of evil. In every storm, he comes to us and repeats: “I am here with you: do not be afraid.” This is why we can get up again after every fall, not allowing ourselves to be stopped by any tempest. Rather we go forward always with courage and trust. And it is thanks to him that, as Pope Francis said, so many “men and women… who honour our people, who honour our Church… are strong in carrying forward their lives, their family, their work, their faith” (Catechesis, 14 May 2014, 2).

Jesus draws near to us. He does not immediately calm the storm, but comes to us in the midst of the danger, and invites us, in our joys and sorrows, to remain together with him, like the disciples, in the same boat. He invites us not to distance ourselves from those who suffer, but to draw near to them, to embrace them. No one must be left alone to confront life’s adversities. For this reason, every community has the obligation to create and sustain structures of solidarity and mutual aid in which, when faced with crises –– be they social, political, medical or economic –– everyone can give and receive assistance according to their own capacity and needs. The words of Jesus, “it is I,” remind us that in a society founded on respect for human dignity, everyone’s contribution is valued as important and unique, regardless of the status or position that each one has in the eyes of the world. The exhortation “do not be afraid,” then, takes on a broader meaning, even at a social and political level, as an encouragement to confront problems andchallenges –– particularly those associated with poverty and justice –– together, with a sense of civic and civil responsibility. Faith does not separate the spiritual from the social. Indeed, it gives Christians the strength to interact with the world, responding to the needs of others, especially the weakest. The isolated efforts of individuals are not enough for the salvation of a community: instead, what is needed is a communal commitment, which integrates the spiritual and moral dimensions of the Gospel in the heart of local institutions and structures, making them instruments for the common good, and not places of conflict, self-interest or sterile struggles.

Today’s first reading (cf. Acts 6:1-7) speaks about this. In this passage, we see how the Church confronts its first crisis concerning growth. The rapid increase in the number of disciples (v. 1) brings new challenges for the community in the exercise of charity, which the Apostles are no longer able to carry out by themselves. Some are overlooked in the distribution of food, and for this reason the grumbling grows and a sense of injustice threatens unity. Daily service to the poor was an essential practice in the early Church, meant to support the weakest, particularly widows and orphans. However, it was necessary to balance this service with the other compelling needs to preach and teach. A solution was not simple. The Apostles, then, gathered together and shared their concerns, discussing the matters in light of Jesus’ teaching. They united themselves in prayer in order to overcome the obstacles and misunderstandings that at first sight seemed insurmountable. Thus, they gave life to something new, choosing men of “good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (v. 3) and appointing them, through the laying on of hands, to acts of service with a spiritual mission. Listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit and being attentive to the cry of the suffering, they not only avoided division within the community, but they also equipped it with new instruments suitable to its growth, transforming a moment of crisis into an occasion of enrichment and development for everyone.

At times, family and societal life require the courage to change mindsets and structures, so that the dignity of the human person may always remain the primary focus and so that inequality and marginalization may be overcome. After all, God who became man identified himself with the least, and this makes the preferential care for the poor a fundamental part of our Christian identity (cf. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 198; Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te, 16-17).

Brothers and sisters, today we say farewell to each other. Each one returns to his or her occupation and the ship that is the Church continues on its course towards the final goal, thanks to the grace of God and the commitment of every person. Let us keep the memory of the beautiful moments that we have experienced together alive in our hearts. Even in the midst of difficulties, let us continue to make space for Jesus, allowing him to enlighten and renew us every day by his presence. The Church in Cameroon is alive, young, blessed with gifts and enthusiasm, energetic in its variety and magnificent in its harmony. With the help of the Virgin Mary, our Mother, may your joyful presence continue to blossom. And may the strong winds, which are never lacking in life, be an occasion for growth in the joyful service of God and your brothers and sisters through sharing, listening, praying and the desire to grow together.

Dear brothers and sisters, this celebration marks the conclusion of my visit to Cameroon. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Archbishop and to all the pastors of the Church in this country.

I renew my appreciation for the Civil Authorities and all those who helped prepare and organize this trip.

Thank you to everyone, especially the sick, the elderly and the nuns who offered their prayers.

People of God living and journeying in Cameroon, do not be afraid! Remain firmly united to Christ our Lord! With the power of his Spirit, you will be the salt and light of this land!

18.04.26

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Gospel we have heard (Jn 6:1-15) is the word of salvation for all humanity.  This Good News is proclaimed today throughout the world; for the Church in Cameroon, it resounds as a providential proclamation of God’s love and of our communion.

The Apostle John describes a large crowd (cf. vv. 2-5), just as we are here now.  For all those people, however, there is very little food: only “five barley loaves and two fish” (v. 9).  Observing this disproportion, Jesus asks us today, just as he asked his disciples then:  how will you solve this problem?  Look at all these hungry people, weighed down by fatigue.  What will you do?

This question is posed to each one of us. It is posed to the fathers and mothers who care for their families.  It is directed to the shepherds of the Church, who watch over the Lord’s flock, and also to those who bear social and political responsibility for the people and seek their well-being.  Christ asks this question to the powerful and the weak, to the rich and the poor, to the young and the elderly, because we all hunger in the same way.  Our necessity reminds us that we are creatures.  We need to eat in order to live.  We are not God: but where is God in the face of people’s hunger?

While awaiting our answers, Jesus gives his own:  “Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted” (v. 11).  A serious problem was solved by blessing the little food that was present and sharing it with all who were hungry.  The multiplication of the loaves and the fish happened while sharing: that is the miracle!  There is bread for everyone if it is given to everyone.  There is bread for everyone if it is taken, not with a hand that snatches away, but with a hand that gives.  Let us observe Jesus’ gesture closely:  when the Son of God took the bread and the fish, he first gave thanks.  He was grateful to the Father for that which would become a gift and a blessing for all the people.

In this way, the food was abundant.  It was not rationed out of necessity.  It was not stolen in strife.  It was not wasted by those who gorge themselves in the presence of those who have nothing to eat.  Passing from the hands of Christ to those of his disciples, the food increased for everyone; indeed, it was superabundant (cf. vv. 12-13).  Amazed by what Jesus had done, the people exclaimed:  “This is indeed the prophet!” (v. 14), that is, the one who speaks in God’s name, the Word of the Almighty.  It was true!  However, Jesus did not use those words for personal gain.  He did not want to become king (cf. v. 15), because he had come to serve with love, not to dominate.

The miracle he performed is a sign of this love.  It shows us not only how God provides humanity with the bread of life, but how we can share this sustenance with all men and women who, like ourselves, hunger for peace, freedom and justice.  Each act of solidarity and forgiveness, every good effort, becomes a morsel of bread for humanity in need of care.  Yet this alone is not enough: the food that sustains the body must be accompanied, with equal charity, by nourishment for the soul — a nourishment that sustains our conscience and steadies us in dark hours of fear and amid the shadows of suffering.  This food is Christ himself, who always gives his Church abundant sustenance and strengthens us on our journey by giving us his Eucharistic Body.

Sisters and brothers, the Eucharist that we are celebrating is the source of renewed faith, because Jesus becomes present among us.  The Sacrament does not merely revive a distant memory; it brings about a “companionship” that transforms us because it sanctifies us.  Blessed are those invited to the Supper of the Lord!  This very altar, around which we gather for the Eucharist, becomes a proclamation of hope amid the trials of history and the injustices we see around us.  It is a sign of God’s love; in Christ, the Father invites us to share what we have, so that it may be multiplied in ecclesial fellowship.

The Lord embraces heaven and earth.  He knows our hearts and all the situations — joyful or sorrowful — that we experience.  By becoming man to save us, he chose to share in the simplest and most everyday needs of humanity.  Hunger thus speaks to us not only of our poverty but, above all, of his love.  Let us remember this every time we see in their eyes a brother or sister who lacks life’s necessities.  Through their eyes, the question that Jesus posed to his disciples is repeated:  “What are you going to do for all these people?”  Being witnesses of Christ and imitating his acts of love certainly involves difficulties and obstacles, from without and from within us, where pride can corrupt the heart.  In those circumstances, however, let us repeat with the psalmist: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Ps 27:1).  Even if we sometimes falter, God always encourages us.  “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord” (v. 14).

Dear young people, I would like to extend this invitation especially to you, as you are the beloved children of the African continent!  As brothers and sisters of Jesus, multiply your talents through the faith, perseverance, and friendship that inspire you.  Be the first faces and hands that bring the bread of life to your neighbours, providing them with the food of wisdom and deliverance from all that does not nourish them, but rather obscures good desires and robs them of their dignity.

Despite the richness of the land in Cameroon, many experience both material and spiritual poverty.  Do not give in to distrust and discouragement.  Reject every form of abuse or violence, which deceives by promising easy gains but hardens the heart and makes it insensitive.  Do not forget that your people are even richer than this land, for your treasure lies in your values:  faith, family, hospitality and work.  Be, therefore, protagonists of the future, following the vocation that God gives to each of you.  Do not let yourselves be corrupted by temptations that waste your energies and do not serve the progress of society.

In order to make your noble spirit the prophetic voice of a new world, learn from the example that we have just heard in the Acts of the Apostles.  The first Christians gave courageous witness to the Lord Jesus in the face of difficulties and threats, and persevered even amid persecution (cf. Acts 5:40-41).  The disciples “every day in the temple and at home… did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah” (v. 42), that is, the Christ, the Liberator of the world.  Yes, the Lord frees us from sin and death.  Proclaiming this Gospel unceasingly is the mission of every Christian, and it is a mission that I entrust especially to you, dear young people, and to the entire Church in Cameroon.  Become Good News for your country, just like Blessed Floribert Bwana Chui is for the Congolese people.

Brothers and sisters, teaching leaves a sign, like the mark of the farmer’s plow in the field, which enables what is sown to bear fruit.  In a similar way, Christian proclamation changes our lives, transforming minds and hearts.  Proclaiming the risen Jesus means leaving signs of justice in a suffering and oppressed land, signs of peace amid rivalry and corruption, signs of faith that free us from superstition and indifference.  With this Gospel message in our hearts, we will shortly share the Eucharistic Bread that sustains us for eternity.  With joyful faith, let us ask the Lord to multiply his gift among us for the good of all.

17.04.26

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

As a pilgrim of peace and unity, it is a joy for me to visit your region and, above all, to share in your journey, your struggles and your hopes.

The festive celebrations that accompany your liturgies and the joy that flows from the prayers you raise are signs of your trusting surrender to God, of your unshakeable hope and of your clinging, with all your strength, to the love of the Father who draws near and looks with compassion upon the sufferings of his children.  In the Psalm, we sung together of our trust in the Lord, which we are called to renew today: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit” (Ps 34:18).

Brothers and sisters, there are many situations in life that break our hearts and plunge us into sorrow.  Our hope for a future of peace and reconciliation, in which the dignity of every human person is respected and their fundamental rights guaranteed, is continually disappointed by the many problems afflicting this beautiful land.  These include the numerous forms of poverty, which even recently have affected so many people amidst an ongoing food crisis. There is moral, social and political corruption, seen above all in the management of wealth, which hinders the development of institutions and infrastructure. We see also the serious problems affecting the education and healthcare systems, as well as large-scale migration to foreign countries, particularly of young people.  Added to these internal problems, which are often fueled by hatred and violence, is the damage caused from outside, by those who, in the name of profit, continue to lay their hands on the African continent to exploit and plunder it.

All of this can make us feel powerless and diminish our confidence.  Yet this is the moment to change, to transform the story of this country.  The time has come, today and not tomorrow, now and not in the future, to restore the mosaic of unity by bringing together the diversity and riches of the country and the continent.  In this way, it will be possible to create a society in which peace and reconciliation reign.

It is true that when a situation remains the same for some time, there is a risk of giving in to resignation and helplessness, because we expect nothing new.  Yet the word of the Lord opens up new possibilities and brings about transformation and healing.  It is capable of stirring our hearts, of challenging the normal course of events to which we so easily risk becoming accustomed, and of making us active agents of change.  Let us remember this: God is newness, God creates new things, God makes us courageous people who, by confronting evil, build up the good.

We see this in the witness of the Apostles, as we heard in the first reading. While the authorities of the Sanhedrin interrogate the Apostles, rebuking and threatening them because they are publicly proclaiming Christ, they reply: “We must obey God rather than any human authority.  The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree” (Acts 5:29–30).

The courage of the Apostles becomes a voice of conscience, a prophecy, a denunciation of evil, and this is the first step toward changing things.  In fact, obeying God is not an act of submission that oppresses us or nullifies our freedom; on the contrary, obedience to God sets us free, because it means entrusting our lives to him and allowing his word to inspire our way of thinking and acting.  Thus, as we heard in the Gospel, which recounts the final part of the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus, “the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things.  The one who comes from heaven is above all” (Jn 3:31).  Those who obey God rather than human beings and earthly ways of thinking rediscover their inner freedom, succeed in discovering the value of goodness and do not resign themselves to evil. They find anew their way in life and become builders of peace and fraternity.

Brothers and sisters, consolation for broken hearts and hope for change in society are possible if we entrust ourselves to God and God’s word.  We must, however, always keep the Apostle Peter’s exhortation in our hearts and bring it to mind: obey God, not human beings.  To obey him, because he alone is God.  This calls us to foster inculturation of the Gospel.  It also calls us to be vigilant, even regarding our own religious practices, so as not to fall into the trap of mixing the Catholic faith with other beliefs and traditions of an esoteric or Gnostic nature, which in reality often serve political and economic ends.  Only God sets us free; only his word opens paths to freedom; only his Spirit makes us new people capable of changing this country.

I accompany you with my constant prayer and I bless in particular the Church gathered here: the many priests, missionaries, religious and lay people who all work to be a source of consolation and hope.  I encourage you to continue along this path and I entrust you to the intercession of Mary Most Holy, Queen of the Apostles and Mother of the Church.

16.04.26 m

Dear sisters and brothers,

It is a joy for me to be with you in this region that has suffered so greatly. As your testimonies have just demonstrated, the lived experience of suffering by your community has only made stronger your conviction that God has never abandoned us! In God, in his peace, we can always begin anew!

His Excellency the Archbishop mentioned the prophecy that exclaims: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace!” (Is 52:7). He welcomed me with these words, and now I would like to respond: how beautiful are your feet as well, dusty from this bloodstained yet fertile land that has been mistreated, yet is rich in vegetation and fruit. Your feet have brought you this far, and despite the difficulties and obstacles, they have remained on the path of goodness. May we all continue on the path of goodness which leads to peace. I am grateful for your words of welcome, because it is true: I am here to proclaim peace. Yet I find it is you who are proclaiming peace to me, and to the entire world. As one of you observed, the crisis impacting these regions of Cameroon has brought Christian and Muslim communities closer than ever before. Indeed, your religious leaders have come together to establish a Movement for Peace, through which they seek to mediate between the opposing sides.

I wish this would happen in so many other places of the world. Your witness, your work for peace can be a model for the whole world! Jesus told us: Blessed are the peacemakers! But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth. Yes, my dear sisters and brothers, you who hunger and thirst for justice, who are poor, merciful, meek, and pure of heart, you who have wept — you are the light of the world! (cf. Mt 5:3-14). Bamenda, today you are the city on the hill, resplendent in the eyes of all! Sisters and brothers, be the salt that continuously gives flavour to this land. Do not lose your flavour, even in the years to come! Cherish all the shared moments that have brought you together in these times of sorrow. Let us all cherish this day when we have come together to work for peace! Be like oil poured out upon the wounds of your brothers and sisters.

In this regard, I would like to express gratitude to all those, particularly the lay and religious women, who care for individuals traumatized by violence. It is an enormous task that goes unseen day by day, and as Sister Carine reminded us, it is also dangerous. The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet a lifetime is often not enough to rebuild. They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found. Those who rob your land of its resources generally invest much of the profit in weapons, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilization and death. It is a world turned upside down, an exploitation of God’s creation that must be denounced and rejected by every honest conscience. We must make a decisive change of course — a true conversion — that will lead us in the opposite direction, onto a sustainable path rich in human fraternity. The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters! They are the descendants of Abraham, as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore. Let us look into each other’s eyes: we are this immense people! Peace is not something we must invent: it is something we must embrace by accepting our neighbour as our brother and as our sister. We do not choose our brothers and sisters: we simply must accept one another! We are one family, inhabiting the same home: this wonderful planet that ancient cultures have cared for across millennia.

Pope Francis’ insight in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium came to mind as I listened to your words. He wrote, “My mission of being in the heart of the people is not just a part of my life or a badge I can take off; it is not something ‘extra’ or just another moment in life. Instead, it is something I cannot uproot from my being without destroying my very self. I am a mission on this earth; that is the reason why I am here in this world” (no. 273).

Dear brothers and sisters of Bamenda, it is with these sentiments that I am here today among you! Let us serve peace together! “We have to regard ourselves as sealed, even branded, by this mission of bringing light, blessing, enlivening, raising up, healing and freeing. All around us we begin to see nurses with soul, teachers with soul, politicians with soul, people who have chosen deep down to be with others and for others” (ibid.). Thus, my beloved predecessor exhorted us to walk together, each of us according to our own vocation, stretching the boundaries of our communities, beginning with concrete efforts on the local level, in order to love our neighbour, whomever and wherever he or she may be. You are witnesses to this silent revolution! As the Imam said, let us thank God that this crisis has not degenerated into a religious war, and that we are all still trying to love one another! Let us move forward courageously, without losing heart, and above all, together, always together!

Let us walk together, in love, searching always for peace.

[Outside the Cathedral:]

My dear brothers and sisters, today the Lord has chosen all of us to be workers who bring peace to this land! Let us all say a prayer to the Lord, that peace will truly reign among us, that as we release these white doves — a symbol of peace — that God’s peace will be upon all of us, upon this land, and keep us all united in his peace. Praise the Lord!

16.04.26 pm

Dear brothers and sisters,

The divine Word pervades history and renews it through the human voice of the Savior. Today we listen to the Gospel, the Good News for all time, in this Basilica in Annaba dedicated to Saint Augustine, Bishop of the ancient city of Hippo. Over the centuries, the names of the places that welcome us have changed, but the saints continue to serve as our patrons and faithful witnesses of a connection to the land that comes from heaven. It is precisely this dynamic that the Lord revealed at night to Nicodemus: this is the strength that Christ instills in the weakness of his faith and the tenacity of his search.

Sent by the Spirit of God, which “you do not know where it comes from or where it goes” (Jn 3:8), Jesus is a special guest for Nicodemus. In fact, he calls him to a new life, entrusting to his interlocutor — and to us as well — a surprising task: “You must be born from above” (v. 7). Such is the invitation for every man and woman who seeks salvation! Jesus’ invitation gives rise to the mission of the whole Church, and consequently to the Christian community in Algeria: to be born again from above, that is, from God. In this perspective, faith overcomes earthly hardships and the Lord’s grace makes the desert blossom. Yet the beauty of this exhortation also brings with it a challenge, which the Gospel calls us to face together.

As a matter of fact, Christ’s words contain all the force of a command: you must be born again from above! Such a command rings in our ears as a feat that would be impossible. However, when we listen attentively to the one who gives the order, we come to understand that this is neither a harsh imposition nor a constraint, and much less a condemnation to failure. On the contrary, the obligation expressed by Jesus is a gift of freedom for us, because it reveals an unexpected possibility: we can be born anew from above thanks to God. We should do so, then, according to his loving will, which desires to renew humanity by calling us to a communion of life that begins with faith. While Christ invites us to renew our lives completely, he also gives us the strength to do so. Saint Augustine attests to this well when praying in this way, “Give, O Lord, what you command and command what you will” (Confessions, X, 29, 40).

Therefore, when we ask ourselves how a future of justice, peace, harmony and salvation will be possible, we must remember that we are asking God the same question that Nicodemus asked: can our story truly change? We are so weighed down by problems, hardships and tribulations! Can we truly start our lives over again? Yes! The Lord’s response, so full of love, fills our hearts with hope. No matter how weighed down we are by pain or sin: the crucified One carries all these burdens with us and for us. No matter how discouraged we are by our own weaknesses: it is precisely then that God manifests his strength, the God who has raised Christ from the dead in order to give life to the world. Each one of us can experience the freedom of new life that comes from faith in the Redeemer. Once again, Saint Augustine offers us an example of this: we revere him for his conversion even more than for his wisdom. In this rebirth, providentially accompanied by the tears of his mother, Saint Monica, he found himself, exclaiming: “I could not therefore exist, could not exist at all, O my God, unless you were in me. Or should I not rather say, that I could not exist unless I were in you” (Confessions, I, 2).

Christians are truly born from above, regenerated by God as brothers and sisters of Jesus, and the Church that nourishes them with the sacraments is the welcoming bosom for all peoples. As we have just heard, the Acts of the Apostles bears witness to this by describing the lifestyle that characterizes humanity when it has been renewed by the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 4:32-37). Even today, we must embrace this apostolic rule and put it into practice, meditating on it as an authentic criterion for ecclesial reform: a reform that must begin in the heart, if it is to be genuine, and must encompass everyone if it is to be effective.

First, “the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul” (v. 32). This spiritual unity is a concordia: a word that signifies well the communion of hearts that beat as one because they are united with the heart of Christ. The early Church, therefore, was not based on a social contract, but rather on the harmony of faith, affections, ideas and life decisions centered on the love of God who became man to save all the peoples of the earth.

Second, let us admire the tangible effects of the spiritual unity among believers: “everything they owned was held in common” (v. 32). Everyone has everything, sharing in one another’s goods as members of a single body. No one is deprived of anything, because everyone shares what they have. Since possession can be transformed into gift, this fraternal dedication does not represent a utopia. Only hearts divided against one another and souls consumed by greed believe that it is. On the contrary, faith in the one God, Lord of heaven and earth, unites people according to perfect justice, which calls everyone to charity — that is, to love every creature with the love that God gives us in Christ. Therefore, in the face of poverty and oppression, the guiding principle above all for Christians is charity: let us do to those around us, as we would have them do to us (cf. Mt 7:12). Inspired by this law, inscribed in our hearts by God, the Church is continually reborn, for where there is despair she kindles hope, where there is misery she brings dignity, and where there is conflict she brings reconciliation.

Third, the passage from Acts shows us the foundation of this new life, which embraces peoples of every language and culture: “With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all” (v. 33). The charity that motivates them is more than a moral commitment; it is a sign of salvation: the Apostles proclaim that our lives can change because Christ has risen from the dead. The primary task of pastors as ministers of the Gospel is therefore to bear witness to God before the world with one heart and one soul, not permitting our concerns to lead us astray through fear, nor trends to undermine us through compromise. Together with you, brothers in the Episcopate and the Priesthood, let us constantly renew this mission for the sake of those entrusted to us, so that through her service, the whole Church may be a message of new life for those we encounter.

Dearest Christians of Algeria, you remain a humble and faithful sign of Christ’s love in this land. Bear witness to the Gospel through simple gestures, genuine relationships and a dialogue lived out day by day: in this way, you bring flavor and light to the places where you live. Your presence in this country is like incense: a glowing grain that spreads fragrance because it gives glory to the Lord and joy and comfort to so many brothers and sisters. This incense is a small, precious element that does not draw attention to itself, but invites us to turn our hearts to God, encouraging one another to persevere amid the difficulties of the present time. From the thurible of our hearts may there rise praise, blessing and supplication, spreading the sweet fragrance (cf. Eph 5:2) of mercy, almsgiving, and forgiveness. Your history is one of generous hospitality and resilience in times of trial. Here the martyrs prayed; here Saint Augustine loved his flock, fervently seeking the truth and serving Christ with ardent faith. Be heirs to this tradition, bearing witness through fraternal charity to the freedom of those born from above as a hope of salvation for the world.

Thank you, Your Excellency, for the sentiments you have expressed on behalf of the entire community!  And thank you all for your warm welcome over the last few days.

I would like to express my gratitude in particular to the civil authorities for the thoughtful hospitality that I have received and for the care with which they ensured the success of my visit to Algeria.

I regard this journey as a special gift of God’s providence, a gift that the Lord wished to bestow upon the entire Church through an Augustinian Pope.

The following is a fitting summary of my time here: God is love; he is the Father of all men and women.  Let us therefore turn to him with humility and acknowledge that the current state of the world, which is in a downward spiral, ultimately stems from our pride.  We need him and we need his mercy.  Only in him does the human heart find peace, and only with him can we, all together, recognize one another as brothers and sisters, and walk the path of justice, integral development and communion.  Thank you, thank you all very much!

14.04.26

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday and happy Easter once again!

Today, on the Second Sunday of Easter, dedicated to Divine Mercy by Saint John Paul II, the Gospel recounts the appearance of the risen Jesus to the Apostle Thomas (cf. Jn 20:19–31).  This event took place eight days after Easter, while the community was gathered together.  There, Thomas encountered the Master, who invited him to look at the marks of the nails and to put his hand into the wound in his side, and to believe (cf. v. 27).  This scene invites us to reflect on our own encounter with the risen Jesus.  Where can we find him?  How can we recognise him?  How can we believe?  Saint John, who narrated the event, gives us precise indications: Thomas met Jesus on the eighth day, in the gathered community, and recognised him in the signs of his sacrifice.  His profession of faith, the highest in the entire Fourth Gospel, emerged from this experience: “My Lord and my God!” (v. 28).

Of course, it is not always easy to believe.  It was not easy for Thomas, and it is not easy for us either.  Faith needs to be nourished and sustained.  For this reason, on the “eighth day” — that is, every Sunday — the Church invites us to do as the first disciples did: gather together and celebrate the Eucharist.  During Mass, we listen to the words of Jesus, we pray, we profess our faith, we share God’s gifts in charity, we offer our lives in union with the Sacrifice of Christ.  His Body and Blood nourish us, so that we too may become witnesses of his Resurrection, as indicated by the term “Mass,” which means “sending forth,” or “mission” (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1332).

The Sunday Eucharist is indispensable to the Christian life.  Tomorrow I will depart for my Apostolic Journey to Africa.  Some of the martyrs of the early African Church, particularly the Martyrs of Abitene, have left us a beautiful testimony in this regard. When offered the chance to save their lives by renouncing the celebration of the Eucharist, they replied that they could not live without celebrating the Lord’s Day.  It is there that our faith is grows and is strengthened.  It is there that our efforts, though limited, are united by God’s grace to the actions of the members of a single body — the Body of Christ — for the accomplishment of a single great plan of salvation that embraces all humanity.  It is through the Eucharist that our hands become “the hands of the Risen One,” giving witness to his presence, mercy and peace.  The signs of work, sacrifice, illness and the passing of the years are often etched into our hands, just as they are in the tenderness of a caress, a handshake, or a gesture of charity.

Dear brothers and sisters, in a world that is in such great need of peace, this calls on us more than ever to be steadfast and faithful in our Eucharistic encounter with the risen Lord, so that we may go forth as witnesses of charity and messengers of reconciliation.  May the Virgin Mary help us to do this, she who is blessed because she was the first to believe without seeing (cf. Jn 20:29).

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today, many Eastern Churches celebrate Easter according to the Julian calendar.  In communion of faith in the Risen Lord, I extend my heartfelt wishes for peace to all these communities.  I accompany these wishes with my fervent prayer for all those suffering due to war, particularly for the dear people of Ukraine.  May the light of Christ bring comfort to afflicted hearts and strengthen the hope for peace.  May the international community’s attention to the tragedy of this war not waver!

In these days of sorrow, fear, and unwavering hope in God, I feel closer than ever to the beloved people of Lebanon.  The principle of humanity, inscribed in the conscience of every person and recognized in international law, entails a moral obligation to protect the civilian population from the horrific effects of war.  I call on the parties in the conflict to declare a ceasefire and urgently seek a peaceful solution.

Next Wednesday marks the third anniversary of the start of the bloodstained conflict in Sudan.  How much the Sudanese people are suffering, innocent victims of this inhuman tragedy!  I renew my fervent appeal to the warring parties to silence their weapons and begin, without preconditions, a sincere dialogue aimed at ending this fratricidal war as soon as possible.

Now, I welcome all of you – Romans and pilgrims alike – especially the faithful who celebrated Divine Mercy Sunday at the Shrine of Santo Spirito in Sassia.

I greet the Musikverein Kleinraming, from the Diocese of Linz in Austria, the faithful who have come from Poland, the young people from the Collège Saint Jean de Passy in Paris, and those of various nationalities from the Focolare Movement. I also greet the pilgrimage group from the community of San Benedetto Po and the confirmands from Santarcangelo di Romagna and San Vito.

I will depart tomorrow for my ten-day Apostolic Journey to four African countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea.  Please keep me in your prayers.

I wish everyone a happy Sunday!

12.04.26

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

The Constitution of the Second Vatican Council Lumen gentium (LG) on the Church dedicates an entire chapter, the fifth, to the universal vocation to holiness of all the faithful: every one of us is called to live in the grace of God, practising the virtues and imitating Christ. Holiness, according to the Conciliar Constitution, is not a privilege for the few, but a gift that requires every baptised person to strive for the perfection of charity, that is, the fullness of love towards God and towards one’s neighbour. Charity is, in fact, the heart of the holiness to which all believers are called: infused by the Father, through the Son Jesus, this virtue “rules over all the means of attaining holiness and gives life to these same means” (LG, 42). The highest level of holiness, as in the early days of the Church, is martyrdom, the “supreme witness of faith and charity” (LG, 50: for this reason, the Council text teaches that every believer must be ready to confess Christ even unto blood (cf. LG, 42), as has always been the case and continues to be so today. This readiness to bear witness is realised every time Christians leave signs of faith and love in society, committing themselves to justice.

All the Sacraments, and in a pre-eminent way the Eucharist, are nourishment that fosters a holy life, assimilating every person to Christ, the model and measure of holiness. He sanctifies the Church, of which He is the Head and Shepherd: holiness is, from this point of view, His gift, which is manifested in our daily life every time we receive it with joy and respond to it with commitment. In this regard, Saint Paul VI, in the General Audience of 20 October 1965, recalled that the Church, to be authentic, requires that all the baptised must “be holy, that is, truly worthy, strong and faithful children of hers”. This is realised as an inner transformation, whereby the life of every person is conformed to Christ by virtue of the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 8:29; LG, 40).

Lumen gentium describes the holiness of the Catholic Church as one of her constitutive characteristics, to receive in faith, inasmuch as she is believed to be “indefectibly holy” (LG, 39): this does not mean that she is so in a full and perfect sense, but that she is called to confirm this divine gift during her pilgrimage towards the eternal destination, walking “amid the persecutions of the world and the consolations of God” (Saint Augustine, De civitate Dei 51,2; LG, 8). The sad reality of sin in the Church, that is, in all of us, invites each person to carry out a serious change of life, entrusting ourselves to the Lord, who renews us in charity. It is precisely this infinite grace, which sanctifies the Church, that entrusts us with a mission to fulfil day after day: that of our conversion. Therefore, holiness does not only have a practical nature, as if it were reducible to an ethical commitment, however great, but concerns the very essence of Christian life, both personal and communal.

From this perspective, a decisive role is played by consecrated life, which the Conciliar Constitution considers in the sixth chapter (cf. nos. 43-47). In the holy People of God, it constitutes a prophetic sign of the new world, experienced here and now in history. Indeed, signs of the Kingdom of God, already present in the mystery of the Church, are those evangelical counsels that shape every experience of consecrated life: poverty, chastity and obedience. These three virtues are not rules that shackle freedom, but liberating gifts of the Holy Spirit, through which some of the faithful are wholly consecrated to God. Poverty expresses complete trust in Providence, freeing one from calculation and self-interest; obedience takes as its model the self-giving that Christ offered to the Father, freeing one from suspicion and domination; chastity is the gift of a heart that is whole and pure in love, at the service of God and the Church.

By conforming to this style of life, consecrated persons bear witness to the universal vocation of holiness of the entire Church, in the form of radical discipleship. The evangelical counsels manifest full participation in the life of Christ, unto the Cross: it is precisely by the sacrifice of the Crucified One that we are all redeemed and sanctified! By contemplating this event, we know that there is no human experience that God does not redeem: even suffering, lived in union with the passion of the Lord, becomes a path of holiness. The grace that converts and transforms life thus strengthens us in every trial, pointing us not towards a distant ideal, but towards the encounter with God, who became man out of love. May the Virgin Mary, the all-holy Mother of the Incarnate Word, always sustain and protect our journey.

Following these past few hours of great tension in the Middle East and throughout the world, I welcome with satisfaction, and as a sign of deep hope, the announcement of an immediate two-week ceasefire. Only by returning to the negotiating table can we bring the war to an end.

I urge you to accompany this time of delicate diplomatic work with prayer, in the hope that a willingness to engage in dialogue may become the means to resolve other situations of conflict in the world.

I reiterate my invitation to everyone to join me in the Prayer Vigil for Peace, which we will celebrate here in Saint Peter’s Basilica on Saturday 11 April.

Lastly, my thoughts turn to the sick, to the newlyweds and to other young people, especially to school groups, including the Maraini School in Rieti. I encourage each one to let the consoling light of the Easter proclamation grow in his heart.

My blessing to you all!

08.04.26

Dear brothers and sisters, Christ is risen! Happy Easter!

This greeting, filled with wonder and joy, will accompany us throughout this week. As we celebrate the new day the Lord has made for us, the liturgy proclaims the entry of all creation into the time of salvation: in the name of Jesus, the despair of death is swept away forever.

Today’s Gospel (Mt 28:8–15) calls us to choose between two accounts: that of the women who encountered the risen Lord (vv. 9–11), and that of the guards who were bribed by the leaders of the Sanhedrin (vv. 11–14). The former proclaim Christ’s victory over death; the latter assert that death prevails always and in every circumstance. According to their version, Jesus has not risen; instead, his body was stolen. From the same fact — the empty tomb — two interpretations arise: one a source of new and eternal life, the other of certain and definitive death.

This contrast invites us to reflect on the value of Christian witness and the integrity of human communication. Often, the proclamation of truth is obscured by what we today call “fake news” — lies, insinuations, and unfounded accusations. Yet, in the face of such obstacles, the truth does not remain hidden; rather, it comes forth to meet us, living and radiant, illuminating even the deepest darkness. Just as he spoke to the women at the tomb, Jesus says to us today: “Do not be afraid; go and tell” (v. 10). In this way, he himself becomes the Good News to be witnessed in the world. The Passover of the Lord is our Passover — the Passover of all humanity — for this man who died for us is the Son of God, who gave his life for us. Just as the risen One, ever living and present, frees the past from a destructive end, so the Easter proclamation redeems our future from the tomb.

Dear friends, how important it is that this Gospel reach, above all, those oppressed by the evil that corrupts history and confuses consciences! I think of peoples afflicted by war, of Christians persecuted for their faith, of children deprived of an education. To proclaim the Paschal mystery of Christ in both word and deed means to give a new voice to hope — a hope otherwise stifled by the hands of the violent. Wherever it is proclaimed, the Good News sheds light upon every shadow, in every age.

With particular affection, in the light of the risen Lord, we remember today Pope Francis, who, on Easter Monday of last year, returned to the Lord. As we recall his profound witness of faith and love, let us pray together to the Virgin Mary, Seat of Wisdom, that we may become ever more radiant heralds of the truth.

Dear brothers and sisters,

I extend a warm welcome to all of you, dear pilgrims from Italy and various other countries.  I greet, in particular, the young people from the Deanery of Appiano Gentile.  My thoughts go out to all those in different parts of the world who are taking part in the initiatives organised for the “International Day of Sport for Development and Peace”, renewing my appeal that sport, with its universal language of fraternity, may be a place of inclusion and peace.

I thank all those who have sent me messages of good wishes for Easter during these days.  I am especially grateful for your prayers.  Through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, may God reward each of you with his gifts!

I hope you spend this Easter Monday and these days of the Easter Octave – during which we continue to celebrate Christ’s Resurrection – in joy and faith.  Let us continue to pray for the gift of peace for the whole world.

Happy Easter Monday!

06.04.26

Brothers and sisters,

Christ is risen! Happy Easter!

For centuries, the Church has joyfully sung of the event that is the origin and foundation of her faith: “Yes, Christ my hope is arisen / Christ indeed from death is risen / Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning” (Easter Sequence).

Easter is the victory of life over death, of light over darkness, of love over hatred. It is a victory that came at a very high price: Christ, the Son of the living God (cf. Mt 16:16), had to die — and die on a cross — after suffering an unjust condemnation, being mocked and tortured, and shedding all his blood. As the true immolated Lamb, he took upon himself the sin of the world (cf. Jn 1:29; 1 Pet 1:18–19) and thus freed us all — and with us, all creation — from the dominion of evil.

But how was Jesus able to be victorious? What is the strength with which he defeated once and for all the ancient adversary, the prince of this world (cf. Jn 12:31)? What is the power with which he rose from the dead, not returning to his former life, but entering into eternal life and thus opening in his own flesh the passage from this world to the Father?

This strength, this power, is God himself for he is Love who creates and generates, Love who is faithful to the end and Love who forgives and redeems.

Christ, our “victorious King,” fought and won his battle through trusting abandonment to the Father’s will, to his plan of salvation (cf. Mt 26:42). Thus he walked the path of dialogue to the very end, not in words but in deeds: to find us who were lost, he became flesh; to free us who were slaves, he became a slave; to give life to us mortals, he allowed himself to be killed on the cross.

The power with which Christ rose is entirely non-violent. It is like that of a grain of wheat which, having rotted in the earth, grows, breaks through the clods, sprouts, and becomes a golden ear of wheat. It is even more like that of a human heart which, wounded by an offence, rejects the instinct for revenge and, filled with compassion, prays for the one who has committed the offence.

Brothers and sisters, this is the true strength that brings peace to humanity, because it fosters respectful relationships at every level: among individuals, families, social groups, and nations. It does not seek private interests, but the common good; it does not seek to impose its own plan, but to help design and carry out a plan together with others.

Yes, Christ’s resurrection is the beginning of a new humanity; it is the entrance into the true promised land, where justice, freedom, and peace reign, where all recognise one another as brothers and sisters, children of the same Father who is Love, Life, and Light.

Brothers and sisters, through his resurrection, the Lord confronts us even more powerfully with the dramatic reality of our freedom. Before the empty tomb, we can be filled with hope and wonder, like the disciples, or with fear like the guards and the Pharisees, forced to resort to lies and subterfuge rather than acknowledge that the one who had been condemned is truly risen (cf. Mt 28:11–15)!

In the light of Easter, let us allow ourselves to be amazed by Christ! Let us allow our hearts to be transformed by his immense love for us! Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!

We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent. Indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people. Indifferent to the repercussions of hatred and division that conflicts sow. Indifferent to the economic and social consequences they produce, which we all feel. There is an ever-increasing “globalisation of indifference,” to borrow an expression dear to Pope Francis, who one year ago from this loggia addressed his final words to the world, reminding us: “What a great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of the world!” (Urbi et Orbi Message, 20 April 2025).

The cross of Christ always reminds us of the suffering and pain that surround death and the agony it entails. We are all afraid of death, and out of fear we turn away, preferring not to look. We cannot continue to be indifferent! And we cannot resign ourselves to evil! Saint Augustine teaches: “If you fear death, love the resurrection!” (Sermon 124, 4). Let us too love the resurrection, which reminds us that evil is not the last word, because it has been defeated by the Risen One.

He passed through death to give us life and peace: “I leave you peace; I give you my peace. Not as the world gives it, I give it to you” (Jn 14:27). The peace that Jesus gives us is not merely the silence of weapons, but the peace that touches and transforms the heart of each one of us! Let us allow ourselves to be transformed by the peace of Christ! Let us make heard the cry for peace that springs from our hearts! For this reason, I invite everyone to join me in a prayer vigil for peace that we will celebrate here in Saint Peter’s Basilica next Saturday, April 11.

On this day of celebration, let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination, and power, and implore the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars and marked by a hatred and indifference that make us feel powerless in the face of evil. To the Lord we entrust all hearts that suffer and await the true peace that only he can give. Let us entrust ourselves to him and open our hearts to him! He is the only one who makes all things new (cf. Rev 21:5).

Happy Easter!

05.04.26 uo

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today all of creation is resplendent with new light, a song of praise rises from the earth, and our hearts rejoice: Christ is risen from the dead, and with him, we too rise to new life!

This Easter proclamation embraces the mystery of our lives and the destiny of history, reaching us even in the depths of death, where we feel threatened and sometimes overwhelmed. It opens us up to a hope that never fails, to a light that never fades, to a fullness of joy that nothing can take away: death has been conquered forever; death no longer has power over us!

This is a message that is not always easy to accept, a promise that we struggle to embrace, because the power of death constantly threatens us, both from within and without.

From within, this power threatens us when the weight of our sins prevents us from “spreading our wings” and taking flight, or when the disappointments or loneliness we experience drain our hope. It likewise looms over us when our worries or our resentments suffocate the joy of living, when we are sad or tired, or when we feel betrayed or rejected. When we have to come to terms with our weakness, with the sufferings and the daily grind of life, we can feel as if we have ended up in a tunnel with no end in sight.

From without, death is always lurking. We see it present in injustices, in partisan selfishness, in the oppression of the poor, in the lack of attention given to the most vulnerable. We see it in violence, in the wounds of the world, in the cry of pain that rises from every corner because of the abuses that crush the weakest among us, because of the idolatry of profit that plunders the earth’s resources, because of the violence of war that kills and destroys.

In this reality, the Passover of the Lord invites us to lift our gaze and open our hearts. It continues to nourish the seed of the promised victory within our spirit and throughout the course of history. It sets us in motion, like Mary Magdalene and the Apostles, so that we may discover that Jesus’ tomb is empty, and therefore in every death we experience there is also room for new life to arise. The Lord is alive and remains with us. Through the cracks of resurrection that open up in the darkness, he entrusts our hearts to the hope that sustains us: the power of death is not the final destiny of our lives. We are all directed, once and for all, on the path to fulfilment, because in Christ we also have risen.

With heartfelt words, Pope Francis reminded us of this in his first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, affirming that the resurrection of Christ “is not an event of the past; it contains a vital power which has permeated this world. Where all seems to be dead, signs of the resurrection suddenly spring up. It is an irresistible force. Often it seems that God does not exist: all around us we see persistent injustice, evil, indifference and cruelty. But it is also true that in the midst of darkness something new always springs to life and sooner or later produces fruit” (n. 276).

Brothers and sisters, Easter gives us this hope, as we remember that in the risen Christ a new creation is possible every day. This is what today’s Gospel tells us, as it clearly describes the event of the resurrection as taking place on “the first day of the week” (Jn 20:1). The day of Christ’s resurrection thus takes us back to that first day when God created the world, and at the same time proclaims that a new life, stronger than death, is now dawning for humanity.

Easter is the new creation brought about by the Risen Lord; it is a new beginning; it is life finally made eternal by God’s victory over the ancient enemy.

We need this song of hope today. It is ourselves, risen with Christ, who must bring him into the streets of the world. Let us then run like Mary Madgalene, announcing him to everyone, living out the joy of the resurrection, so that wherever the spectre of death still lingers, the light of life may shine.

May Christ, our Passover, bless us and give his peace to the whole world!

05.04.26 m

“The sanctifying power of this night dispels wickedness, washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen… drives out hatred, fosters concord and brings down the mighty” (Exsultet).

With these words at the beginning of this celebration, dear brothers and sisters, the deacon praised the light of the Risen Christ, symbolised by the Paschal Candle. From this single candle, we have all lit our own candles, and, each carrying a small flame drawn from the same fire, we have illuminated this great basilica. It is the sign of the Paschal light, which unites us in the Church as lights for the world. At the deacon’s announcement, we responded “Amen,” affirming our commitment to embrace this mission, and shortly we will repeat our “yes” by renewing our baptismal promises.

This, my dear friends, is a Vigil filled with light, the oldest in the Christian tradition, known as the “mother of all vigils.” In it we relive the victory of the Lord of life over death and the underworld. We do this, as part of one great celebration, after having journeyed in recent days through the mysteries of the Passion of the God who became for us “a man of sorrows” (Is 53:3), “despised and rejected by men” (ibid.), tortured and crucified.

Is there a greater act of charity? A more complete gift? The risen One is the same creator of the universe who, just as he brought us into existence out of nothing at the dawn of history, also gave his life for us on the Cross to show us his boundless love.

The first reading reminded us of this with the account of creation. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (cf. Gen 1:1), bringing the cosmos out of chaos, harmony out of disorder and entrusting to us – made in his image and likeness – the task of being its stewards. Even when, through sin, humanity failed to live up to that plan, the Lord did not abandon us, but revealed his merciful face to us in an even more surprising way – through forgiveness.

The “holy mystery of this night,” then, has its roots even in the place where humanity’s first failure took place, and extends across the centuries as a path of reconciliation and grace.

Through the sacred texts we have heard, the liturgy has shown us some of the stages of this journey. It reminded us how God stopped Abraham’s hand as he was about to sacrifice his son Isaac, to show us that he does not desire our death, but rather that we dedicate ourselves to being, in his hands, living members of the lineage of those who are saved (cf. Gen 22:11–12, 15–18). In the same way, the liturgy invited us to reflect on how the Lord freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, transforming the sea – a place of death and an insurmountable obstacle – into the gateway to a new life of freedom. The same message echoed in the words of the prophets, who praised God as a bridegroom who calls and gathers (cf. Is 54:5–7), a spring that quenches thirst, water that brings forth fruit (cf. Is 55:1,10), a light that shows the way to peace (cf. Bar 3:14) and Spirit who transforms and renews the heart (cf. Ez 36:26).

In all of these moments in the history of salvation, we have seen how God responds to the hardness of sin – which divides and kills – with the power of love, which unites and restores life. We have heard the narrative interwoven with psalms and prayers, reminding us that, through Christ’s Paschal Mystery, “we were buried with him by baptism into death… we too might walk in newness of life… dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom 6:4,11); we are therefore consecrated in Baptism to the Father’s love, united in the communion of saints and made, by grace, living stones for the building up of his Kingdom (cf. 1 Pet 2:4–5).

In this light, let us reflect on the story of the Resurrection, which we heard in the Gospel according to Matthew. On Easter morning, the women, overcoming their grief and fear, set out on their journey. They wanted to go to Jesus’ tomb. They expected to find it sealed, with a large stone at the entrance and soldiers standing guard. This is what sin is: a heavy barrier that closes us off and separates us from God, seeking to kill his words of hope within us. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, however, did not let themselves be intimidated. They went to the tomb and, thanks to their faith and love, became the first witnesses of the Resurrection. In the earthquake and in the angel sitting on the overturned stone, they saw the power of God’s love, stronger than any force of evil, capable of “driving out hatred” and “bringing down the mighty.” Man can kill the body, but the life of the God of love is eternal life, which transcends death and which no tomb can imprison. Thus the Crucified One reigned from the cross, the angel sat upon the stone, and Jesus appeared to them alive, saying, “Greetings!” (Mt 28:9).

This, my dear friends, is also our message to the world today. The encounter to which we want to bear witness – through the words of faith and the works of charity – we do so by “singing” with our lives the “Alleluia” that we proclaim with our lips (cf. Saint Augustine, Sermon 256, 1). Just as the women rushed to tell the disciples, we too should desire to set out tonight from this Basilica to bring to all the good news that Jesus has risen and that having risen with him, through his power, we too can give life to a new world of peace and unity as “a multitude of people and yet […] a single person, for although there are many Christians, Christ is one” (Saint Augustine, Commentaries on the Psalms, 127:3).

Our brothers and sisters gathered here, who come from various parts of the world and are about to receive Baptism, will dedicate themselves to this mission. After the long journey of the catechumenate, today they are reborn in Christ to become new creatures (cf. 2 Cor 5:17) and witnesses to the Gospel. To them, and to all of us, let us repeat what Saint Augustine said to the Christians of his time: “Proclaim Christ, sow…, spread everywhere what you have conceived in your heart” (Sermon 116, 23–24).

Sisters and brothers, even today there are tombs to be opened, and often the stones sealing them are so heavy and so closely guarded that they seem to be immovable. Some weigh heavily on the human heart, such as mistrust, fear, selfishness and resentment; others, stemming from these inner struggles, sever the bonds between us through war, injustice and the isolation of peoples and nations. Let us not allow ourselves to be paralysed by them! Over the centuries, many men and women, with God’s help, have rolled them away — perhaps with great effort, sometimes at the cost of their lives — but with good fruits that we still benefit from today. They are not unattainable figures, but people like us who, strengthened by the grace of the Risen One, in charity and truth, had the courage to speak, as the Apostle Peter says, the “very words of God” (1 Pet 4:11) and to act “with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified” (ibid.).

Let us be inspired by their example, and on this Holy Night let us make their commitment our own, so that the Easter gifts of harmony and peace may grow and flourish everywhere and always throughout the world.

04.04.26

Dear brothers and sisters,

This evening’s solemn liturgy marks our entry into the Holy Triduum of the Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection. We cross this threshold not as mere spectators, nor out of habit, but as those personally invited by Jesus himself as guests at the Supper in which bread and wine become for us the sacrament of salvation. Indeed, we take part in a banquet at which Christ “having loved his own who were in the world, loved them to the end” (Jn 13:1). His love becomes both gesture and nourishment for all, revealing the justice of God. In this world, and particularly in those places where evil abounds, Jesus loves definitively — forever, and with his whole being.

During this Last Supper, he washes the feet of his apostles, saying: “I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (Jn 13:15). The Lord’s gesture is inseparable from the table to which he has invited us. This gesture is a concrete example that flows from the sacrament: while revealing the meaning of the Eucharistic mystery, it also entrusts to us a task — a mission that we are called to take up as nourishment for our lives. John the Evangelist chooses the Greek word upódeigma to describe the event he witnessed: it means “that which is shown before your eyes.” What the Lords shows us — taking the water, the basin and the towel — is far more than a moral example. He entrusts to us his very way of life. The washing of the feet is a gesture that encapsulates the revelation of God: an exemplary sign of the Word made flesh, his unmistakable memorial. By taking on the condition of a servant, the Son reveals the Father’s glory, overturning the worldly standards that so often distort our conscience.

Along with the silent astonishment of his disciples, even human pride cannot remain blind to what is taking place. Like Peter, who at first resisted Jesus’ initiative, we too must “learn repeatedly that God’s greatness is different from our idea of greatness… because we systematically desire a God of success and not of the Passion” (Homily at Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 20 March 2008). These words of Pope Benedict XVI candidly acknowledge that we are always tempted to seek a God who “serves” us, who grants us victory, who proves useful like wealth or power. Yet we fail to perceive that God does indeed serve us through the gratuitous and humble gesture of washing feet. This is the true omnipotence of God. In this way, his desire to devote himself to those whose very existence depends upon his gift is fulfilled. Out of love, the Lord kneels to wash each one of us, and his divine gift transforms us.

Indeed, through this act, Jesus purifies not only our image of God — from the idolatry and blasphemy that have distorted it — but also our image of humanity. For we tend to consider ourselves powerful when we dominate, victorious when we destroy our equals, great when we are feared. In contrast, as true God and true man, Christ offers us the example of self-giving, service and love. We need his example to learn how to love, not because we are incapable of it, but precisely to teach ourselves and one another what true love is. Learning to act like Jesus — the living sign that God has placed within the history of the world — is the work of a lifetime.

He is the true measure, the “Teacher and Lord” (Jn 13:13) who removes every divine and human mask. He offers his example not when all are content and devoted to him, but on the night he was betrayed, in the darkness of incomprehension and violence. In this way, it becomes clear that the Lord’s love precedes our own goodness or purity; he loves us first, and in that love, he forgives and restores us. His love is not a reward for our acceptance of his mercy; instead, he loves us, and therefore cleanses us, thereby enabling us to respond to his love.

Let us, then, learn from Jesus this reciprocal service. He does not ask us to repay him, but to share his gift among ourselves: “You also ought to wash one another’s feet” (Jn 13:14). As Pope Francis once remarked: this “is a duty which comes from my heart: I love it. I love this and I love to do it because that is what the Lord has taught me to do” (Homily at Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 28 March 2013). He was not speaking of an abstract imperative, nor of a formal and empty command, but expressing his heartfelt obedience to the charity of Christ, which is both the source and the model of our own charity. Indeed, the example given by Jesus cannot be imitated out of convenience, reluctance or hypocrisy, but only out of love.

Allowing ourselves to be served by the Lord is therefore the necessary condition for serving as he did. “Unless I wash you”, Jesus said to Peter, “you have no share in me” (Jn 13:8): unless you accept me as your servant, you cannot truly believe in me or follow me as Lord. By washing our bodies, Jesus purifies our souls. In him, God has given us an example — not of how to dominate, but of how to liberate; not of how to destroy life, but of how to give it.

As humanity is brought to its knees by so many acts of brutality, let us too kneel down as brothers and sisters alongside the oppressed. In this way, we seek to follow the Lord’s example, fulfilling what we have heard from the book of Exodus: “This day shall be a day of remembrance for you” (12:14). Indeed, the whole of biblical history converges in Jesus, the true Passover lamb. In him, the ancient figures find their fulfilment, for Christ the Saviour accomplishes the Passover of humanity, opening for all the passage from sin to forgiveness, from death to eternal life: “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Cor 11:24).

By renewing the Lord’s gestures and words this very evening, we commemorate the institution of the Eucharist and of Holy Orders. The intrinsic bond between these two sacraments reveals the perfect self-gift of Jesus, the High Priest and living, eternal Eucharist. For in the consecrated bread and wine lies “a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ is received, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us” (Dogmatic Constitution Sacrosantum Concilium, 4 December 1963, 47). Through bishops and priests, constituted as “priests of the New Covenant” according to the Lord’s command (Council of Trent; De Missae Sacrificio, 1), there is made present the sign of his charity towards the whole People of God. Beloved brothers in the priesthood, we are called to serve the People of God with our whole lives.

Holy Thursday is therefore a day of fervent gratitude and authentic fraternity. May this evening’s Eucharistic adoration, in every parish and community, be a time to contemplate Jesus’ gesture, kneeling as he did, and to ask for the strength to imitate his service with the same love.

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Dear brothers and sisters,

We are now on the threshold of the Easter Triduum. Once again, the Lord will lead us to the culmination of his mission, so that his passion, death and resurrection may become the heart of our mission. What we are about to relive, in fact, possesses the power to transform what human pride generally tends to harden: our identity and our place in the world. Jesus’ freedom changes hearts, heals wounds, refreshes and brightens our faces, reconciles and gathers us together, and forgives and raises us up.

In this, my first year presiding over the Chrism Mass as Bishop of Rome, I would like to reflect with you on the mission to which God calls us as his people. It is the Christian mission, the very same as Jesus’, not another. Each of us takes part in it according to our own vocation in a deeply personal obedience to the voice of the Spirit, yet never without others, never neglecting or breaking communion! Bishops and priests, as we renew our promises, we are at the service of a missionary people. Together with all the baptized, we are the Body of Christ, anointed by his Spirit of freedom and consolation, the Spirit of prophecy and unity.

What Jesus experiences at the culminating moments of his mission is foreshadowed by the passage from Isaiah, which he quoted in the synagogue at Nazareth as the word that is fulfilled “today” (cf. Lk 4:21). Indeed, at the hour of Easter, it becomes definitively clear that God consecrates in order to send. “He has sent me” (Lk 4:18), says Jesus, describing that movement which binds his Body to the poor, to prisoners, to those groping in the dark and to those who are oppressed. We, as members of his Body, speak of a Church that is “apostolic,” sent out, driven beyond itself, and consecrated to God in the service of his creatures. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21).

We know that being sent entails, first and foremost, a detachment, that is, the risk of leaving behind what is familiar and certain, in order to venture into something new. It is interesting that “with the power of the Spirit” (Lk 4:14), who descended upon him after his baptism in the Jordan, Jesus returned to Galilee and came “to Nazareth, where he had been brought up” (Lk 4:16). It is the place he must now leave behind. He moves “as was his custom” (v. 16), but to usher in a new era. He must now leave that village for good, so that what has taken root there, Sabbath after Sabbath, through faithful listening to the word of God, may come to fruition. Likewise, he will call others to set out, to take risks, so that no place becomes a prison, no identity a hiding place.

Dear friends, we follow Jesus who “did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself” (Phil 2:6-7). Every mission begins with that kind of self-emptying in which everything is reborn. Our dignity as sons and daughters of God cannot be taken from us, nor can it be lost, but neither can the affections, places, and experiences at the start of our lives be erased. We are heirs to so much good and, at the same time, to the limitations of a history into which the Gospel must bring light and salvation, forgiveness and healing. Thus, there is no mission without reconciliation with our past, with the gifts and limitations of the upbringing we have received; but, at the same time, there is no peace without setting out, no awareness without detachment, no joy without risk. We are the Body of Christ if we move forward, coming to terms with the past without being imprisoned by it: everything is restored and multiplied if it is first let go, without fear. This is a fundamental secret of mission. It is not something that is experienced just once, but in every new beginning, in every new sending forth.

Jesus’ journey reveals to us that the willingness to lose oneself, to empty oneself, is not an end in itself, but a condition for encounter and intimacy. Love is true only when it is unguarded; it requires little fuss, no ostentation, and gently cherishes weakness and vulnerability. We struggle to commit ourselves to a mission that exposes us in this way, and yet there is no “good news to the poor” (cf. Lk 4:18) if we go to them bearing the signs of power, nor is there authentic liberation unless we free ourselves from attachment. Here we touch upon a second secret of the Christian mission. After detachment comes the law of encounter. We know that throughout history, mission has not infrequently been distorted by a desire for domination, entirely foreign to the way of Jesus Christ. Saint John Paul II had the clarity and courage to recognise that “because of the bond which unites us to one another in the Mystical Body, all of us, though not personally responsible and without encroaching on the judgment of God who alone knows every heart, bear the burden of the errors and faults of those who have gone before us.” [1]

Consequently, it is now a priority to remember that neither in the pastoral sphere nor in the social and political spheres can good come from abuse of power. The great missionaries bear witnesses to quiet, unobtrusive approaches, whose method is the sharing of life, selfless service, the renunciation of any calculated strategy, dialogue and respect. It is the way of the Incarnation, which always takes the form of inculturation. Salvation, in fact, can only be received by each person through his or her native language. “How is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?” ( Acts 2:8). The surprise of Pentecost is repeated when we do not presume to control God’s timing, but place our trust in the Holy Spirit, who “is present, even today, as in the time of Jesus and the Apostles: is present and at work, arriving before us, working harder than us and better than us; it is not for us to sow or awaken him, but first and foremost to recognise him, welcome him, go along with him, make way for him, and follow him. He is present and has never lost heart regarding our times; on the contrary, he smiles, dances, penetrates, engulfs, envelops, and reaches even where we would never have imagined.” [2]

To establish this harmony with the transcendent, we must go where we are sent with simplicity, respecting the mystery that every person and every community carries within them. As Christians, we are guests. This is also true if we are bishops, priests, or men and women religious. To be hosts, in fact, we must learn to be guests ourselves. Even the places where secularisation seems most advanced are not lands to be conquered or reconquered: “New cultures are constantly being born in these vast new expanses where Christians are no longer the customary interpreters or generators of meaning. Instead, they themselves take from these cultures new languages, symbols, messages and paradigms which propose new approaches to life, approaches often in contrast with the Gospel of Jesus… It must reach the places where new narratives and paradigms are being formed, bringing the word of Jesus to the inmost soul of our cities.” [3] This happens only if we walk together as the Church, if mission is not a heroic adventure reserved for a few, but the living witness of a Body with many members.

There is also a third dimension, perhaps the most radical, of the Christian mission. The dramatic possibility of misunderstanding and rejection, which is already seen in the violent reaction of the people of Nazareth to Jesus’ words. “When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff” (Lk 4:28-29). Although the liturgical reading has omitted this part, what we are about to celebrate this evening calls on us not to flee, but to “pass through” the trial, just as Jesus did. Jesus “passed through the midst of them and went on his way” (Lk 4:30). The cross is part of the mission: the sending becomes more bitter and frightening, but also more freeing and transformative. The imperialist occupation of the world is thus disrupted from within; the violence that until now has been the law is unmasked. The poor, imprisoned, rejected Messiah descends into the darkness of death, yet in so doing he brings a new creation to light.

How many “resurrections” are we called to experience when, free from a defensive attitude, we immerse ourselves in service like a seed in the earth! In life, we may face situations where everything seems to be over. We then ask ourselves whether the mission has been in vain. While it is true that, unlike Jesus, we also experience failures that stem from our own shortcomings or those of others, often from a tangled web of responsibilities of light and shadow, we can make the hope of many witnesses our own. I recall one who is particularly dear to me. A month before his death, in his notebook for the Spiritual Exercises, the holy Bishop Óscar Romero wrote: ‘The nuncio in Costa Rica has warned me of an imminent danger this very week… These unforeseen circumstances will be faced with God’s grace. Jesus Christ helped the martyrs and, if the need arises, I shall feel him very close when I entrust my last breath to him. But, more than the final moment of life, what matters is to give him one’s whole life and to live for him… It is enough for me, to be happy and confident, to know with certainty that in him is my life and my death; that, despite my sins, I have placed my trust in him and I shall not be disheartened, for others will continue, with greater wisdom and holiness, the work for the Church and for the homeland.”

Dearest sisters and brothers, the saints make history. This is the message of Revelation: “Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne” (Rev 1:4). This greeting encapsulates Jesus’ journey in a world torn apart by the powers that ravage it. Within it arises a new people, not of victims, but of witnesses. In this dark hour of history, it has pleased God to send us to spread the fragrance of Christ where the stench of death reigns. Let us renew our “yes” to this mission that calls for unity and brings peace. Yes, we are here! Let us overcome the sense of powerlessness and fear! We proclaim your death, O Lord, and we proclaim your resurrection, as we await your coming.

[1] John Paul II, Bull of Indiction of the Great Jubilee of 2000 Incarnationis Mysterium (29 November 1998), 11.

[2] C.M. Martini, Three Tales of the Spirit, Milan 1997, 11.

[3] Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (24 November 2013), 73-74.

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Brothers and sisters, good morning!

Let us continue on our path of reflection on the Church as she is presented to us in the Conciliar Constitution Lumen gentium (LG). Today we will look at the fourth chapter, which deals with the laity. Let us all remember what Pope Francis liked to repeat: “Lay people are, put simply, the vast majority of the people of God. The minority – ordained ministers – are at their service” (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, 102).

This section of the Document seeks to explain, in positive terms, the nature and mission of the laity, after centuries in which they had been defined simply as those who are not part of the clergy or the consecrated life. For this reason, I would like to revisit with you a very beautiful passage that speaks to the greatness of the Christian condition: “Therefore, the chosen People of God is one: ‘one Lord, one faith, one baptism’ (Eph 4:5); sharing a common dignity as members from their regeneration in Christ, having the same filial grace and the same vocation to perfection; possessing in common one salvation, one hope and one undivided charity” (LG, 32).

Before any distinction of ministry or state of life, the Council affirms the equality of all the baptized. The Constitution does not want us to forget what it had already affirmed in the chapter on the People of God, namely that the condition of the messianic people is the dignity and freedom of the children of God (cf. LG, 9).

Naturally, the greater the gift, the greater the commitment too. For this reason, the Council, along with dignity, also emphasises the mission of the laity in the Church and in the world. But on what is this mission founded, and in what does it consist? The very description of the laity offered by the Council tells us: “The term laity is here understood to mean all the faithful… [who] are by baptism made one body with Christ and are constituted among the People of God; they are in their own way made sharers in the priestly, prophetical, and kingly functions of Christ; and they carry out for their own part the mission of the whole Christian people in the Church and in the world” (LG, 31).

The holy People of God, therefore, is never a formless mass, but the body of Christ or, as Saint Augustine said, the Christus totus; it is a community organically structured by means of the fruitful relationship between the two forms of participation in the priesthood of Christ: the common priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood (cf. LG, 10). By virtue of Baptism, the lay faithful participate in the very priesthood of Christ. Indeed, “the supreme and eternal Priest, Christ Jesus, since He wills to continue His witness and service also through the laity, vivifies them in this Spirit and increasingly urges them on to every good and perfect work” (LG, 34).

In this regard, how can we fail to recall Saint John Paul II and his Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles laici (30 December 1988)? In it, he emphasised that “the Council, with its rich doctrinal, spiritual and pastoral patrimony, has written as never before on the nature, dignity, spirituality, mission and responsibility of the lay faithful. And the Council Fathers, re-echoing the call of Christ, have summoned all the lay faithful, both women and men, to labour in the vineyard” ( no. 2). In this way, my venerable Predecessor relaunched the apostolate of the laity, to which the Council dedicated a specific Document, which we will talk about later. [1]

The vast field of the lay apostolate is not confined to the Church, but extends to the world. Indeed, the Church is present wherever her children profess and bear witness to the Gospel: in the workplace, in civil society and in all human relationships, wherever they, through their choices, show the beauty of Christian life, which foretells here and now the justice and peace that will be accomplished in the Kingdom of God. The world needs to “be permeated by the spirit of Christ, and more effectively fulfil its purpose in justice, charity and peace” (LG, 36). And this is possible only through the contribution, service and witness of the laity!

It is an invitation to be the “outgoing” Church that Pope Francis spoke to us about: a Church embodied in history, always open to mission, in which we are all called to be missionary disciples, apostles of the Gospel, witnesses of the Kingdom of God, bearers of the joy of Christ whom we have encountered!

Brothers and sisters, may the Easter we are preparing to celebrate renew in us the grace to be, like Mary Magdalene, like Peter and John, witnesses of the Risen One!

[1] Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree Apostolicam actuositatem (18 November 1965).

I extend a warm welcome to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially those coming from Nigeria, the Philippines and the United States of America. I greet in particular the students participating in the 2026 UNIV International University Conference. May this Holy Week lead us to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with hearts that are purified and renewed by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Upon all of you and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you all!

I thank everyone for this meeting, wishing each of you that the days of Holy Week may be a propitious occasion to strengthen your faith and your adherence to the Gospel.

My thoughts also turn to young people, the sick, and newlyweds. May the Paschal Mystery, which we contemplate in these days, give you encouragement to make your lives a joyful service to others, especially the most vulnerable.

My blessing to everyone!

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