Bulletins, Newsletters, and Flocknotes

Meeting with Migrants at the “Las Raíces” Centre

At 7.55 local time (8.55 in Rome), Pope Leo XIV took leave of the bishop’s house in Las Palmas and transferred by car to the Gran Canaria-Gando Air Base where, after bidding farewell to some local leaders, he departed at 8.56, bound for Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

The aircraft carrying the Holy Father landed at Tenerife Norte – Los Rodeos International Airport at 9.15 (10.15 in Rome).

Upon arrival at the airport, the Pope was welcomed by some local authorities.

Then, at 9.40 (10.40 in Rome), the Holy Father transferred by car to Las Raíces reception centre.

After the words of welcome from Bishop Eloy Alberto Santiago Santiago of San Cristóbal de La Laguna and from the Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, and testimonies from two migrants, the Holy Father addressed a greeting to those present.

The Pontiff then visited a tent and greeted some migrants.

At the end of the meeting, the Pope transferred by car to Plaza de Cristo for the meeting with organizations working for the integration of migrants.

The following are the words of greeting addressed by the Pope to those present at Las Raíces reception centre:

 

Greeting of the Holy Father

Dear brothers and sisters,

Good morning!

I would like to thank the Minister and the Director of this Center for their kind words.

Today in the Church, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. For Christians, Jesus’ heart symbolizes God’s merciful and infinite love for every human being. In this context, it is providential that we can come together, see one another and, above all, recognize that, no matter where we come from, God’s love knows no borders, makes no distinctions, is given to all and brings us together in unity.

As I look at your faces and listen to your stories, I also think of your hearts — wounded by so many difficulties, yet also comforted by the love you have received from other open, generous and merciful hearts. Christ’s heart suffered and was pierced out of love, and he was also comforted by compassionate people who eased his pain.

Jesus explained the universality of love by using an example of an act of service: a stranger from a foreign town and another religion took pity on a wounded and mistreated man (cf.  Lk  10:25–37). Motivated by the love of God, which urges us to heal others’ wounds and to be charitable toward those who suffer, Saint Brother Peter and Saint Joseph of Anchieta set sail from these Canary Islands to preach the Gospel in America, opening new missionary horizons. They too were migrants who ventured into the unknown, carrying faith, hope and charity as their greatest possessions.

In those unknown lands, the holy migrants and missionaries shared what they had and likewise welcomed the new things that were offered to them. I also invite you to share the treasures of your humanity, of your dreams and of your culture, which you have brought to these islands, and to be open to receiving what is offered to you. We must live this exchange responsibly, considering the future generations to whom we wish to bequeath the heritage of a civilization of love. Migration will play an important role in this, as it “can become an opportunity for encounter and mutual enrichment among peoples” (Encyclical Letter  Magnifica Humanitas , 81).

Dear brothers and sisters, in a sense, all of us are migrants, for we are all pilgrims on our way to our heavenly homeland. Let us help make this journey more humane for everyone by contributing in whatever way we can. In this regard, I am grateful for the collaboration of the government, various institutions and the many men and women of goodwill whose collaboration makes this concrete humanitarian aid possible, restoring hope and giving dignity to so many people.

The name of this reception center,  Las Raíces , “the roots,” caught my attention. My predecessor,  Pope Francis , who so longed to be with you, liked to use the image of roots to emphasize the importance of remembering our origins, staying united and trusting in the Lord. “For those who trust in the Lord are ‘like a tree planted by water sending out its roots by the stream; it shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green’ ( Jer  17:8)” (Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation  Christus Vivit , 133). May this image of roots also help you to be firmly rooted in the Lord (cf.  Col  2:7), so that no storm may drive you away from his presence, which strengthens and gives life.

Dear friends, I carry you in my heart and will remember you in my prayers. May God bless you, your families and all who do good to you. And may the Blessed Virgin Mary, Consolation of Migrants, always accompany and assist you with her maternal protection. Thank you very much.

Meeting with organizations working for the integration of migrants

At approximately 10.30 local time (11.30 in Rome), Pope Leo XIV left the Las Raíces Centre and travelled by car to Plaza de Cristo to meet with organizations working for the integration of migrants, in the presence of around four thousand people.

Upon arrival, he was welcomed by Bishop Eloy Alberto Santiago Santiago of San Cristóbal de La Laguna.

After a hymn, the words of welcome from the bishop of Tenerife, and testimonies from a Venezuelan priest and three migrants, the Pope delivered his address to those present.

At the end of the meeting, the Pontiff toured among the faithful by golf-cart, and then transferred to the bishop’s residence. Along the way, he greeted some people with illnesses, representatives of some religious Institutes, and the faithful. Then, after arriving at the bishop’s residence, Pope Leo XIV greeted the local Catholic community from the balcony.

The following is the address delivered by the Pope in Plaza de Cristo :

 

Address of the Holy Father

Dear brothers and sisters,

It is a pleasure for me to share this moment with you here in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, the seat of this diocese. I was struck by what has been said about this city: It is without walls, an open city.

Perhaps this detail helps us to understand that the barriers that are the hardest to break down are not always made of stone. Sometimes they lie in our attitudes, in fear or in indifference. The sea which surrounds these islands brings us stories that we do not always know how to interpret: stories of pain, of hope and of searching. In a city without walls, the heart too is called to open wide to welcome those who bring these stories with them. That is why we need to learn the language of closeness, which is understood more with hands than with words.

Braille and other forms of tactile writing remind us that words can also be conveyed through touch. In the same way, integration requires learning to read in a different way. There are those whose gazes see and yet do not recognize; they turn a face into a number, a story into a file and a difference into distance. The Gospel, therefore, teaches us a deeper way of reading reality: one that originates from closeness, patience and hands capable of helping, accompanying, guiding, teaching and opening paths.

In the efforts to integrate these brothers and sisters of ours — as in every work of charity — the Church learns to read in the concrete lives of those who suffer in body or spirit a living sign that points to the holy Gospels. It becomes legible through touch and closeness when we feel the wounds of others. Like Thomas before the glorious body of the Risen One, the Church too learns that viewed through the lens of faith, wounds can become a place of recognition. Where human suffering is touched with love, Christ confirms to us that he is present in the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick, the imprisoned and the stranger (cf.  Mt  25:35–40). From that faith which recognizes the living Christ springs the service of Father Darwin and of so many others. Christian charity flows from the love of God poured into the heart of the believer; for this reason, in the presence of the needy, faith becomes concrete and love for Christ is transformed into deeds.

From this conviction, our presence aims to bear witness to the fact that solidarity arises from the recognition of human dignity and transcends any mere act of charity or philanthropy. It is called to be a commitment and to take the form of a process. Welcome opens the door; integration helps one cross the threshold. Assistance applies a salve to the wound, and integration rebuilds the future.

Integration does not mean erasing the history of those who arrive or demanding that they leave behind everything that is part of their memory. Nor does it mean creating parallel worlds, closed off from one another, where people live side by side without truly encountering one another. Integration is a reciprocal journey: those who arrive learn to inhabit a new land, and those who welcome them learn to expand their own homes without diluting their identity or closing their hearts to the encounter. To you, dear migrant brothers and sisters, a noble and necessary part of this journey belongs: to open yourselves with trust to the community that welcomes you, to learn its language, to respect its laws, to get to know its customs, to participate in communal life and to offer your gifts with gratitude.

Every welcoming society has responsibilities toward those who arrive, and those who are welcomed also discover that dignity, recognized as a right, flourishes when it becomes a duty and a sincere desire to build together with others. In this way, those who arrived as strangers can rediscover bonds, rebuild trust and feel like a living part of a community. This is a precious form of mercy.

We are speaking, above all, of people created in the image and likeness of God, rather than of legal categories or problems to be managed. After difficult journeys and, at times, several attempts — as in Khalid’s case — they look for someone to tell them through actions rather than with words: your life is not a waste; your suffering is not invisible; your dignity has not been washed away in the waters you have crossed — as Mbacke told us. Yet they are also looking for something more: a concrete possibility to start over, to learn, work, serve, participate and not to remain forever trapped in the role of victims.

In this regard, I would like to express my gratitude for Bishop Eloy’s words and, through them, for the witness of a Church that, even with limited resources, seeks to “walk with those who are walking.” Thank you to the Diocesan Caritas, the Diocesan Migration Office, the parishes and the many ecclesial and civil organizations that go beyond providing immediate aid to support processes of protection, promotion and integration. Thank you for making it possible for those who were once accompanied to become — as Thalia reminded us — a bridge for others, returning the love they received. When those who once needed a helping hand begin to extend their own, the charity received is transformed into shared responsibility.

At the same time, we cannot forget the many migrants from Latin America, the Philippines and other parts of the world who are already a living part of the community. Through their faith, work and gifts, they help to renew the community. Let yourselves also be evangelized by them, for they surely bring with them gifts that Providence has wished to send to you through those who are integrating. They remind us that integration means making space so that a person can feel a sense of shared responsibility. In this way, yesterday’s stranger can be today’s brother and neighbor.

I would like to ask Catholics for something else: that integration not be reduced to a social undertaking, however necessary that may be. Those who come to our parishes need bread, shelter, language assistance, work and protection. They also must find a community capable of offering paths to knowing Jesus Christ through the witness of life and word, while always respecting the conscience and freedom of each person. Evangelization is sharing, with respect and humility, the treasure that sustains our action and our hope. A Church that welcomes is also a Church that proclaims, offering Christ without imposing him and which, at the same time, receives the Gospel from the hands of the poor.

A human conscience, and even more so a Christian conscience, cannot remain indifferent in the face of these graveyards of the sea, to the victims of shipwrecks and the lack of aid. Every life lost on these routes is a failure for the human family. Nevertheless, there is also a silent shipwreck that occurs after arrival: being left alone in a city, without a voice, without ties, work or a sense of security, and exposed to those who take advantage of vulnerability. Integration means preventing that second shipwreck. It means helping those who arrived wounded not to remain forever stuck in their pain, but to be able to get back on their feet, recognize their gifts and offer them to the community.

From this square, I wish to address a clear message to those who take advantage of people’s desperation, to those who organize death routes, traffic in human beings, withhold documents, exploit workers, threaten women, deceive families and turn the suffering of others into a business. Stop. Repent (cf.  Mk  1:15). The tears and blood of these brothers and sisters cry out to God, and their suffering reaches him (cf.  Gen  4:10;  Ex  3:7–9). The money wrested from the vulnerability of the poor will bring neither peace, nor honor, nor a future (cf.  Jer  22:13;  Job  5:1–6).

For every life lost, every family deceived, every body subjugated, every woman threatened, every worker exploited, you will have to appear before divine justice (cf.  2 Cor  5:10). Break those chains and free those you hold in bondage (cf.  Is  58:6). Return what has been taken and make amends as much as you can. Repent while there is still time, for God’s mercy can reach even the most hardened sinner, but it enters only through the narrow gate of truth, justice and conversion (cf.  Ez  33:11).

Sisters and brothers, fear, indifference and the violence of those who trade in human life must not have the final word. That belongs to Christ, who identifies with the stranger, touches the wounds of humanity and calls us to recognize him in every brother and sister who needs to be welcomed, protected, supported and integrated.  Let us lift our gaze to him , without turning away from those who suffer; let us look to the Lord to learn to see our brothers and sisters through his eyes.

The Holy Family of Nazareth, which had to flee to Egypt to protect the life of the Child Jesus (cf.  Mt  2:13–15), remains for all time a model and refuge for every refugee family, every migrant and every person forced to leave their homeland out of fear, persecution or necessity (cf. Pius XII, Apostolic Constitution  Exsul Familia ). May the members of the Holy Family sustain the service you offer and make this land a place where everyone recognizes and treats one another as brothers and sisters. May God bless you. Thank you very much.

The following is the Message sent by the Holy Father Leo XIV to priests on the occasion of World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests, held today, 12 June 2026, on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus :

 

Message of the Holy Father

Dear brother priests,

On the day when the Church ponders her Lord’s pierced Heart, from which gushes forth an inexhaustible fountain of peace and unity for all humanity, I first address to myself and to all of you the words that God spoke to the people of Israel: “Be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” ( Lev  19:2; cf.  1 Pt  1:16). This divine call echoes down the ages. Even today it resonates strongly with every believer and, in a particular way, with us priests. Holiness is neither one option among many nor an abstract ideal, for it involves the very identity of every person who wishes to share in the life of the risen One.

 

Holiness is sharing in Christ’s mystery

God invites us to share in his own holiness. When he calls us to be holy as he is holy, he indicates that the path we must follow involves being fashioned after his own Heart. And for us, dear brothers, this call is particularly radical. The Lord has promised: “And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding” ( Jer  3:15). The holiness he asks of us is a trustful abandonment, allowing ourselves to be transformed by the Holy Spirit. Yet it is precisely here that the great paradox of our priestly life emerges. We are called to share in God’s own holiness, but we carry this treasure in earthen vessels (cf.  2 Cor  4:7). We are limited and imperfect, often weak and weary, and at times wounded. How can such a vulnerable human heart respond to such a high calling? The priest lives this tension. Yet at the same time, he must recognize that he finds peace in the open side of the Lord Jesus.

A journey toward union

The union of our heart with Christ’s Heart is not an experience reserved for a select few; rather, it is a sacramental, Eucharistic journey that unfolds each day of our lives. Dear brothers, by our ordination we have been configured to Christ, yet we must always renew within ourselves the gift of grace through our daily celebration of the Eucharist, prayer, meditation on the word of God and humble service to our brothers and sisters. Let us remain united to Christ in everything — in all that we do and in all that happens to us every day. Then the holiness that we have sought in vain through isolated efforts will reveal itself for what it is: a response to the grace that precedes, sustains and transforms us. Indeed, our humanity is not compartmentalized. Prayer, ministry, relationships, weariness, joys and failures — even time or love that apparently seems wasted — all become privileged places where God reveals himself and his infinite love.

The priest who has an upright, simple and pure heart can be contemplative in the midst of action, merciful and faithful in times of trial, and joyful in the gift of himself. The world greatly needs pastors who offer more than simply words or programs; it needs the living witness   of a reconciled heart that exudes the sweet fragrance of Christ’s holiness. A priestly life that is steady and configured to Jesus’ Heart is a credible sign of unity, peace and mercy. Thus, in an age marked by division and fear, we must be builders of peace and witnesses of the tenderness of the Good Shepherd who knows how to gather the scattered and heal the wounded. Our zeal is not restlessness, but the overflowing of a love that is “‘ecstasy,’ openness, gift and encounter” (Francis, Encyclical Letter  Dilexit Nos , 28).

The Heart of Christ is the heart of the saints

The response to the call to holiness lies not so much in works of asceticism or striving for perfection –– though these are necessary –– but in trusting adherence to the love revealed in Jesus’ pierced Heart. The Apostle John invites us to contemplate the open side of the crucified One (cf.  Jn  19:34), in which God definitively shows us what holiness is: not an inaccessibly distant or detached perfection, but a love that gives itself even to the point of being wounded and so can become a source of mercy and life. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is an exemplary image of the surpassing love of God. It is an all-powerful love precisely because it is capable of being vulnerable and of transforming sorrow into grace and suffering into hope.

The Sacred Heart, therefore, is the “place” where holiness is manifested as closeness and tenderness. The priest’s holiness, then, is embodied in humble and courageous nearness, in being all things to all people, and in keeping the gate of the sheepfold open so that many can enter and find pasture and rest (cf.  Jn  10:9). For this reason, we are called to a relationship with God that does not distance us from others but brings us closer to everyone — shaping patient and tender hearts, capable of closeness, compassion and listening. Thus, through the union of our imperfect hearts with Jesus’ pierced Heart, our journey toward holiness is fulfilled. It is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us (cf.  Gal  2:20). Such holiness cannot be lived in isolation. Cherish your priestly fraternity: seek one another, listen to one another and support one another. The priest who isolates himself slowly fades away; the priest who walks alongside his brothers grows. Saint Augustine reminds us of this when he says: “How shall we avoid finding ourselves in darkness? By loving our brothers. What is the proof that we love our brothers? This: that we do not fracture unity and that we practice charity” ( In Epist. Io. ad Parthos  II, 3).

Dear priests, renew each day your “Here I am” before Christ’s pierced Heart. Give yourselves entirely to him, so that you may love his people with the same love with which he loves them. And joyfully remember how the saintly Curé of Ars loved to say that “the priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus” (cf. Benedict XVI,  Letter   Proclaiming a Year for Priests on the 150th Anniversary of the  “ Dies Natalis ”  of the Curé of Ars , 569). This love is a pledge and a guarantee that, if we surrender and offer ourselves completely, nothing of us will be lost. I entrust each and every one of you to the Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests. May she, who cherished the mystery of her Son in her heart, also teach us to keep alive and make the Heart of Christ, Savior of the world, beat within us.

12 June 2026, Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

LEO PP. XIV

Resignation and appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Appointment of bishop of La Vega, Dominican Republic

Appointment of auxiliary bishop of Koszalin- Kołobrzeg, Poland

 

Resignation and appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archieparchy of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, presented by His Eminence Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, C.M.

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Abune Tesfaye (Tesfasilasie) Tadesse Gebresilasie, M.C.C.J., until now auxiliary of the archieparchy of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as metropolitan archbishop of the same see.

 

Appointment of bishop of La Vega, Dominican Republic

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Andrés Napoleón Romero Cárdenas as bishop of the diocese of La Vega, Dominican Republic, transferring him from the diocese of Barahona.

Curriculum vitae

Bishop Andrés Napoleón Romero Cárdenas was born on 24 July 1967 in Ramonal Arriba, diocese of San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic. He holds a licentiate in letters and philosophy from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra in Santiago de los Caballeros, and a licentiate in biblical theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He was ordained a priest on 8 July 1995 for the diocese of San Francisco de Macorís.

He has held the following offices: parish vicar, formator in the minor seminary, director of the diocesan Work for Priestly Vocations, professor, dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Theology, and formator at the Pontifical Major Seminary Santo Tomás de Aquino , and parish priest.

He was appointed bishop of Barahona on 23 February 2015, receiving episcopal ordination the following 25 April.

 

Appointment of auxiliary bishop of Koszalin- Kołobrzeg, Poland

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Wacław Grądalski, until now parish priest of the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows in Skrzatusz, as auxiliary bishop of Koszalin-Kołobrzeg, Poland, assigning him the titular see of Adrumeto.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Wacław Grądalski was born on 25 December 1964 in Gorlice (then diocese of Tarnów, currently diocese of Rzeszów). He was ordained a priest on 28 May 1989.

He has held the following offices: vicar of the parish of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Sławno (1989-1992) and in Kołobrzeg (1992-1992); parish priest of Saint Michael Archangel in Kołobrzeg (1992-2003); diocesan chaplain for young people (1998-2008); since 2003, president of the Fundacja Charytatywna Im. Biskupa Czesława Domina and representative of the Cenacolo Community ; ecclesiastical assistant of the Catholic Youth Association (2003-2009); deanery spiritual director in Gościno (2008–2012); assistant to Catholic Action (2009–2012); spiritual director at the major seminary in Koszalin (2012–2015); since 2012, member of the Council for the Formation of Priests; pastoral assistant (2015–2016), parish priest and custodian (since 2017) at the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows in Skrzatusz; since 2017, diocesan spiritual director; since 2021, diocesan moderator of the Living Rosary ; since 2022, canon of the Chapter of Koszalin Cathedral; and since 2024, member of the diocesan Pastoral Council.

Appointment of auxiliary bishop of Pelplin, Poland

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Przemysław Szulc, until now parish priest of Saint Lawrence in Przysiersk, as auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Pelplin, Poland, assigning him the titular see of Cufruta.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Przemysław Tomasz Szulc was born on 2 June 1978 in Chojnice, Poland. He was ordained a priest on 8 June 2003 for the diocese of Pelplin.

After ordination, he first held the roles of parish vicar of Saint Joseph in Tczew (2003-2009) and diocesan moderator of the Light-Life Movement (2003-2009). He was awarded a doctorate in pastoral theology from the John Paul II Catholic University in Lublin (2006-2012), and went on to serve as principal of the Catholic Middle and High School in Świecie (since 2009), pastoral collaborator at the parish of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Świecie (2009-2016) and, to date, parish priest of Saint Lawrence in Przysiersk (since 2016).