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This morning’s General Audience took place at 10.00 in Saint Peter’s Square, where the Holy Father Leo XIV met with groups of pilgrims and faithful from Italy and all over the world.

In his address in Italian, the Pope focused on the theme: “ The Apostolic Journey to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea (Reading: Mt 28: 16-20).

After summarizing his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father addressed special greetings to the faithful present.

The General Audience concluded with the recitation of the  Pater Noster  and the Apostolic Blessing.

 

The Apostolic Journey to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea

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 recognize 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, recognizing 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 recognize 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 evangelization. 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.

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Greeting in English

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!  

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Summary of the Holy Father's words

Dear brothers and sisters, today I’d like to speak about my recent  Apostolic Journey to four countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea . I had desired to embark on this journey since the beginning of my pontificate, and I now express my heartfelt gratitude to the Lord for granting me the occasion to meet with the people of God in Africa and confirm them in their faith as the Successor of Saint Peter.  My time there was meant to offer the world a message of peace at a moment marked by conflicts and frequent violations of international law.  Along with the call for peace, I also denounced the grave injustices that exist in those countries that are so rich in natural resources, urging the international community to overcome neo-colonial attitudes and engage in authentic collaboration. At the same time, the  Apostolic Journey  gave people in Africa a chance to make their voices heard and to express the joy of being God’s people.  In this regard, I thank the Lord for what they have given me: an immeasurable gift of faith, hope and charity, which has greatly enriched my life and ministry.

This morning, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Archbishop Salvatore Joseph Cordileone of San Francisco, United States of America;

- Bishop Horacio del Carmen Valenzuela Abarca, emeritus of Talca, Chile;

- Bishop Frédéric Pierre Rossignol, C.S.Sp., of Tournai, Belgium.

The Holy Father Leo XIV, on 24 April 2026, granted the Ecclesiastica Communio requested of him in accordance with Can. 76 § 2 of the CCEO by His Beatitude Polis III Nona, canonically elected Patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans on 12 April 2026 by the Synod of Bishops of his sui iuris Church, celebrated in Rome.

The following is the text of the Letter addressed by His Holiness Leo XIV to the Patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans granting of the Ecclesiastica Communio :

His Beatitude

POLIS III NONA

Patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans

I have received your esteemed letter in which Your Beatitude, having been canonically elected Patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans on 12 April 2026 by the Synod of Bishops of the same Church, held in Rome, requested, in accordance with Canon 76 § 2 of the Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium , the granting of Ecclesiastical Communion.

It is, therefore, with a heart filled with joy that I grant you the Ecclesiastica Communio , as an expression and bond of full communion with the Apostolic See, in the common service to unity in the Church and to the edification of the Body of Christ.

It is my pleasure to offer fervent prayers that Your Beatitude, as Father and Head of this beloved sui iuris Church, may exercise the ministry entrusted to you with pastoral care, guiding the People of God according to the Heart of Christ and confirming them in faith, hope and charity.

May the Holy Spirit sustain you in the fulfilment of the mission you have received, so that the Chaldean Church, rich in its ancient apostolic tradition and marked by the shining witness of numerous martyrs and confessors, may continue to bear fruit through the proclamation of the Gospel, as it did with a marvellous missionary spirit, strengthening ecclesial communion within its own territory and in those of the increasingly vast diaspora.

As I extend my paternal greetings to the Bishops of the Synod, the clergy, men and women religious, seminarians, candidates for consecrated life and all the lay faithful, I entrust Your Beatitude to the maternal intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, and to the protection of Saints Addai and Mari.

The election of Your Beatitude took place on the day on which the Chaldean liturgy commemorates the Risen Lord’s encounter with Saint Thomas, from whom the living tradition of this Church originates; May the Apostle, who recognized in the luminous wounds of Jesus the merciful manifestation of his Lord and God, accompany your patriarchal ministry in the name of faith, which demands so much courage and perseverance from many of the faithful in the Chaldean communities who, as true believers and the pride of the Church, face often arduous trials.

I cordially impart to Your Beatitude the Apostolic Blessing, as a pledge of consolation in the Lord.

From the Vatican, 24 April 2026

LEO PP. XIV

This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV blessed the first stone of the “Centro Cuore – Papa Francesco” of the “A. Gemelli” Hospital in Rome.

The following is the address delivered by the Pope to those present during the rite of blessing:

 

Address of the Holy Father

Dear friends, good morning and welcome!

I welcome with pleasure your desire for the Pope to bless the first stone of the “Centro Cuore”, the new great work of the Gemelli Hospital, dedicated to Pope Francis. The name Cuore (Heart), given to the new structure, offers me a starting point for the brief reflection I will share with you.

In its primary, let us say functional, meaning, it stands for Cardiovascular Unique Offer ReEngineered . In other words, it indicates, through an acronym that is effective in its immediacy, that part of the vast complex that is the “Gemelli” where the treatment of cardiovascular diseases will be concentrated. You describe it as a new person-centred organizational model. It is a demanding challenge, which I hope you will tackle with enthusiasm, collaboration and also prayer.

But the word cuore , heart, for your hospital, means much more, because it is part of the very name of the university to which it belongs: the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart.

In this regard, I would like to recall an important historical detail. When the long-awaited moment came to seek state recognition for the new university, many people advised Father Gemelli not to name it after the Sacred Heart, as that title would have been too devotional. And the founder honestly considered the issue. But Blessed Armida Barelli had no doubts: the University had to be “of the Sacred Heart”, because it was precisely to the Heart of Christ that the series of “miracles” which had made the undertaking possible was owed. Gemelli listened to his trusted collaborator, and the name was also approved by the government authorities.

Today, we can say that this choice, which was prophetic at the time, remains so today, given that Pope Francis chose to dedicate his last Encyclical, Dilexit nos – almost a testament – to “the human and divine love of the Heart of Jesus Christ”.

In its first part, it recalls Christian anthropology, which understands the heart as the centre and synthesis of the human person. I would like to quote just one passage: “This profound core, present in every man and woman, is not that of the soul, but of the entire person in his or her unique psychosomatic identity. Everything finds its unity in the heart, which can be the dwelling-place of love in all its spiritual, psychic and even physical dimensions. In a word, if love reigns in our heart, we become, in a complete and luminous way, the persons we are meant to be, for every human being is created above all else for love. In the deepest fibre of our being, we were made to love and to be loved” (no. 21). In this part of the Encyclical, you can find the framework of principles and values that underpin the formation at your hospital, a formation which, on this occasion, I simply wish to encourage: the more “Gemelli” grows, the greater the care that must be taken over the human and Christian formation of those who work there.

The central message of Dilexit nos is, however, theological and spiritual, centred on the mystery of love of the Heart of Christ, the primary source of inspiration and support for our life and our work. Like an everlasting flame, this love has inspired countless witnesses of charity within the Church, including in the fields of educational and social charity. Among these we may count Father Gemelli, Blessed Armida Barelli and the other founders of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart.

We know how much Gemelli had longed for the Faculty of Medicine, and we are certain that from above he continues to accompany its developments, especially this initiative of the Centro Cuore . With these sentiments, I bless you all and the first stone of the new building, invoking the intercession of Mary Most Holy, Seat of Wisdom and Health of the Sick. Thank you!

This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience Her Grace Sarah Mullally, Archbishop of Canterbury.

The following is the address delivered by the Pope to those present at the meeting:

 

Address of the Holy Father

Your Grace,

Peace be with you!

In the joy of this Paschal season, as we continue to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead, I am pleased to welcome you and your Delegation to the Vatican.

Your visit brings to mind the  memorable encounter between Saint Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey sixty years ago , the anniversary of which you marked with Cardinal Koch in Canterbury Cathedral on the morning after your installation.  Since then, Archbishops of Canterbury and Bishops of Rome have continued to meet and pray together, and I am glad that we are continuing this tradition today.  I am likewise grateful for the ministry of the Anglican Centre in Rome, also established sixty years ago, and I greet in a special way the Centre’s Director, Bishop Anthony Ball, whom you will commission this evening as your Representative to the Holy See.

Throughout these days of Eastertide, the first words spoken by the risen Christ resound throughout the Church: “Peace be with you” ( Jn  20:19).  This greeting invites us not only to accept the Lord’s gift of peace, but also to be messengers of his peace.  I have often mentioned that the peace of the risen Jesus is “unarmed.”  This is because he always responded to violence and aggression in an unarmed way, inviting us to do likewise.  Moreover, I believe that Christians must bear prophetic and humble witness to this profound reality together (cf .  Message for the LIX World Day of Peace , 1 January 2026).

While our suffering world greatly needs the peace of Christ, the divisions among Christians weakens our capacity to be effective bearers of that peace.  If the world is to take our preaching to heart, we must, therefore, be constant in our prayers and efforts to remove any stumbling blocks that hinder the proclamation of the Gospel. This focus on the need for unity for the sake of a more fruitful evangelization has been a theme throughout my own ministry; indeed it is reflected in the motto I chose when I became a bishop:  In Illo uno unum , “In the One — that is Christ — we are one”   (Saint Augustine,  Enarr. in Ps.,  127, 3).

In this regard, when Archbishop Michael Ramsey and Saint Paul VI announced the first theological dialogue between Anglicans and Catholics, they spoke of seeking the “restoration of complete communion in faith and sacramental life” ( Common Declaration ,  24 March 1966). Certainly this ecumenical journey has been complex.  While much progress has been made on some historically divisive issues, new problems have arisen in recent decades, rendering the pathway to full communion more difficult to discern.  I know that the Anglican Communion is also facing many of these same questions at this time.  Nevertheless, we must not allow these continuing challenges to prevent us from using every possible opportunity to proclaim Christ to the world together.  As my beloved predecessor,  Pope Francis , said to the Primates of the Anglican Communion in 2024, “it would be a scandal if, due to our divisions, we did not fulfil our common vocation to make Christ known”  (Address to Primates of the Anglican Communion,  2 May 2024).  For my part, I add that it would also be a scandal if we did not continue to work towards overcoming our differences, no matter how intractable they may appear.

As we continue to journey together in friendship and dialogue, then, let us pray that the Holy Spirit, whom the Lord breathed on the disciples on the evening after his resurrection, will guide our steps as we prayerfully and humbly seek the unity which is the Lord’s will for all his disciples.

Your Grace, in thanking you for your visit today, I pray that the same Holy Spirit will remain with you always, making you fruitful in the service to which you have been called.

May God bless you and your family.