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At 10.22, in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Porziuncola, the Holy Father presided over Holy Mass with the participants in the “ GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting 2026 ”. Before the final blessing, a young man thanked the Pope for the meeting. At the end of Holy Mass, Pope Leo XIV entered the Porziuncola for a a brief moment of silent prayer.

Then, at 11.43, the Holy Father left the Basilica and, after taking leave of the authorities who had welcomed him on arrival, departed by helicopter at 12.16 to return to the Vatican.

The following is the homily delivered by Pope Leo XIV during the Eucharistic celebration:

 

Homily of the Holy Father

 

 

Dear brothers and sisters, Dear young people!

The Feast of the Transfiguration, which we are celebrating, is a mystery of light that enriches our encounter — one that is so joyful, yet also raises questions about the present and the future. In the Gospel, we find the contrast between light and shadow, silence and words, wonder and incomprehension. Today, we are in Assisi, a city to which countless pilgrims have made their way for centuries, because here everything whispers that our lives can take on a new form, radiate light and heal the world. It was here that the transformation of Francis, Clare and then thousands of other young people began. They embraced the Gospel sine glossa — we could say, in its simplicity — then the life of Jesus began anew within them.

We have come here to understand where history is heading and where we ourselves are going. In the Gospel, we see that meaning can indeed be found, that a path can be glimpsed. Like Peter, James and John, we too have been brought a little aside, and Jesus is with us. What matters is his presence. On the mountain, the apostles contemplate Jesus, who had been speaking about his own future, which had caused a misunderstanding among them. Six days earlier, Peter had taken issue with the Master for speaking openly about the cross (cf. Mt 16:21–26) because he expected glory for the Messiah, and perhaps even for himself. Peter did not consider any opposition or risks, and especially did not ask himself what glory really means. Now, in Jesus’ Transfiguration, God himself reveals his glory, which takes the form of a cloud that protects and envelops. He points to his Son and invites us to listen to him. The path of life is discovered by following him together. The beauty of this path takes on a new dimension, an unprecedented intensity, so much so that Peter would like to stay awhile and prolong that vision. He generously offers to build three tents as he would like that conversation between Jesus, Moses and Elijah to continue. However, one must enter into that conversation, not remain a mere spectator. Indeed, we are called to read the Scriptures with the Master, to interpret our own times and to make decisions by following his path. We have come here to overcome resignation and fear, to dispel the doubts that hold us back, just as they held back the apostles. Jesus calls us to engage with his story in order to write new pages of history.

As we hear that “his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light” ( Mt 17:2), we recall Easter morning when an angel of the Lord rolled away the stone sealing the tomb and brought the announcement of the Resurrection. “His face was like lightning, his robe white as snow” ( Mt 28:3). That is the light of a new day, toward which we are drawn, even as darkness still surrounds us — and sometimes dwells within us. We see the dawning light in the canonized saints, such as Saint Francis and Saint Clare, and in a myriad of brothers and sisters who respond to evil with good. We are not alone! In recent days you have experienced this, since you have met and listened to one another, moving beyond the clamor of overlapping and conflicting voices to the art of conversation. Today, we contemplate Jesus, who is transfigured precisely in conversation with the Father, with those who preceded him — Moses and Elijah — and with his contemporaries, the disciples.

The Church exists to lead us into this dynamic of listening and decision-making, in which we come to understand for whom we are to live and how we are to live. The Church is the community in which we learn to discern the voice of God, which never simply coincides with our own opinions, and to dare to obey the Holy Spirit, who makes bold and creative all those who choose to follow Jesus. While we are “disfigured” by separating ourselves from him and from others, we are transfigured through the bonds that nourish and call us to life. Franciscan spirituality, in which you have been formed, is among the most attentive to restoring fundamental relationships with God and with all his creatures. Today, more than ever, this is a harmony that needs to be safeguarded and cultivated.

In this regard, at the beginning of my first Encyclical, I suggested that “Each generation inherits the task of shaping its own era, of guiding history to become a place where the dignity of every person is safeguarded, justice is promoted and fraternity is made possible. Yet every era also runs the risk of creating an inhumane and more unjust world. Whenever humanity is in danger of marring its true identity, we Christians lift our eyes to the Incarnate God, knowing that it is ‘only in the mystery of the Word made flesh that the mystery of humanity truly becomes clear.’ In Jesus Christ, this humanity in its grandeur becomes the Way, the Truth and the Life, opening the path for each of us to grow toward fullness” ( Magnifica Humanitas , 1).

Dear friends, the reason why Saint Francis still draws us to himself, even eight hundred years after his death, lies in the grandeur of humanity that led him to abandon familiar ways in order to find a new path that is more consistent with that of Jesus. Even in a town that had been Christian for centuries, such as Assisi, this seemed revolutionary. “Clare’s choice was even more striking: a girl who wanted to be like Francis, who wanted to live, as a woman, as free as those brothers!” ( Jubilee Audience , 4 October 2025). This is the energy of Christianity — the energy of its beginnings and of its many new beginnings.

Well then, dear young people, today Europe and the whole world are looking to you to be new saints. Dare to believe in the word of the Gospel; become fully human with the freedom of Jesus Christ; embrace Sister Poverty! The title of your gathering, Go!, is a mission, a sending forth onto paths for which we have no maps, because they are opened by listening to the heart, obeying the Holy Spirit, and following the Risen One wherever he has chosen to go before us. Go! Go! Or better yet: let us go! Let’s go to the margins, where the injustice and arrogance of a few deny the dignity and dreams of many, of far too many sons and daughters of God. Pope Francis , drawing inspiration from the Poverello of Assisi, warned us against the temptation “to be that kind of Christian who keeps the Lord’s wounds at arm’s length. Yet Jesus wants us to touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others. He hopes that we will stop looking for those personal or communal niches which shelter us from the maelstrom of human misfortune” ( Evangelii Gaudium , 270).

We may not be understood, even by those closest to us, as happened to Saint Francis. Yet, breaking free from the culture of power, and tearing down the walls that separate human beings from one another, is never a betrayal of our families, towns or traditions. Instead, it means freeing them from their ghosts, from enemies invented out of fear or ignorance and from the violence with which people seek to impose their own limited order on a reality that surpasses us on every side. To trust in God is to rediscover, like Francis and Clare, a world of brothers and sisters to cherish and serve, not to exploit and dominate. Not a world to defend, but to embrace.

Commit yourselves, dear young people, to the civilization of love, whose first signs you have encountered in so many examples of selfless giving, and which — in the image of Christ — transforms countless peacemakers who, even today, are committed to serving life in the most tragic situations of death. Unite the best energies of your magnificent humanity: your studies, skills, work, friendships, love and prayer, so that you can bring Saint Francis’ vision to life in many different ways. I imagine you hold dear the prayer often attributed to him, a text from the last century:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring love. Where there is offence, let me bring pardon. Where there is discord, let me bring union. Where there is error, let me bring truth. Where there is doubt, let me bring faith. Where there is despair, let me bring hope. Where there is darkness, let me bring your light. Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.

That is “where” to go. But here, especially, is “how” to go:

O Lord, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love, for it is in giving that one receives, it is in self-forgetting that one finds, it is in forgiving that one is forgiven, it is in dying that one awakens to eternal life.

Dear friends, may these days in Assisi remain etched in your memory, and may your return home, to the various countries of Europe to which you will travel, be like the descent of Peter, James and John from the high mountain of the Transfiguration. May your return be reflective, open to the future and committed to Jesus Christ. He trusts you, counts on you and remains always with you.

Resignation and appointment of metropolitan archbishop of San Juan de Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico

Election of auxiliary bishop of the eparchy of Buchach, Ukraine

Appointment of Consultors of the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life

 

Resignation and appointment of metropolitan archbishop of San Juan de Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the metropolitan archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico, presented by Archbishop Roberto Octavio González Nieves, O.F.M.

The Holy Father has appointed Bishp Eusebio Ramos Morales, hitherto of Caguas, as metropolitan archbishop of San Juan de Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico.

Curriculum vitae

Archbishop-elect Eusebio Ramos Morales was born on 15 December 1952 in Maunabo, Puerto Rico. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in sciences and biology from the University of Puerto Rico, he studied philosophy and theology at the Central University of Bayamón, with the Jesuits in Mexico and at Boynton Beach Seminary; finally, he was awarded a licentiate in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He received priestly ordination on 3 June 1983.

He has held the following offices: assistant vicar; spiritual director and rector at the Seminary in Caguas; parish priest of Dulce Nombre de Jesús in Humacao; professor of dogmatic theology at the major seminary; parish priest of Santísimo Redentor and moderator of the Presbyteral Council of Caguas.

He was appointed bishop of the diocese of Fajardo-Humacao on 11 March 2008, and received episcopal consecration on 31 May of the same year. 

On 2 February 2017, he was appointed bishop of the diocese of Caguas.

He is currently president of the Episcopal Conference of Puerto Rica (C.E.P.)

 

Election of auxiliary bishop of the eparchy of Buchach, Ukraine

The Holy Father has granted his assent to the election by the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church of the Reverend Fr. Terentiy Tsapchuk, O.S.B.M., assigning him the titular see of Orea.

Curriculum vitae

The Reverend Fr. Terentiy Tsapchuk was born on 21 July 1980 in the village of Chortovets, in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. He joined the Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat in 1998 and gave his perpetual vows on 19 August 2006.

After a year of preparatory formation at the Basilian Institute in Zolochiv (2000-2001), he carried out his studies in philosophy at the Pontifical Theological Faculty in Warsaw, Poland (2001-2003) and studied theology at the major seminary of the Latin archdiocese of Lviv in Bryukhovychi (2003–2007). During his theological studies, he received his religious formation at the Basilian Institute in Bryukhovychi.

He was ordained a priest on 26 July 2007. Following ordination, he held the following pastoral and religious offices: from 2007 to 2012, parish administrator in Lutsk, Kivertsy and Kryzhivtsi; from 2012 to 2020, hegumen of the Basilian monastery in Lutsk, and concurrently parish priest of the parish of Saint Basil the Great in Lutsk; from 2010 to 2020, protopresbyter of the archiepiscopal exarchate of Lutsk; from 2020 to 2024: parish vicar in Ivano-Frankivsk; and since 2024: hegumen of Pohonya Monastery, and at the same time parish priest of the parish in the same town.

In 2016 he was awarded a licentiate in Church history from the Catholic University of Lublin, Poland.

 

Appointment of Consultors of the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life

The Holy Father has appointed the following as Consultors of the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life: Monsignor Alfonso Vincenzo Amarante , C.SS.R., Rector Magnificus of the Pontifical Lateran University, Rome, Italy; the Reverend Kevin Otieno Mwandha , S.D.B., vice Rector of the Salesian Pontifical University, Rome; the Very Reverend Father Ignasi M. Fossas i Colet , Abbot President of the Subiaco Cassinese Congregation of the Order of Saint Benedict; the Reverend Fathers: Damián Guillermo Astigueta , S.J., Dean of the Faculty of Canon Law of the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome; Maurizio Bevilacqua , C.M.F., Principal of the Pontifical Institute of Theology of Consecrated Life “ Claretianum ” ad instar Facultatis of the Pontifical Lateran University, Rome; Benjamin James Earl , O.P. coordinator for the revision of the Constitutions of Dominican Nuns; Flavien Zolabi Mambueni , S.J., Rector of the Institut de Théologie de la Compagnie de Jésus in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire; the Reverend Brothers Antoine Kazindu , F.M.S., counsellor at the Lycée de Kigali , Rwanda, and Emili Tutú Rofes , F.M.S., director of Faith and Praxis for Global Leadership ; the Reverend Mothers Chiara Lorenzato , Superior General of the Clarissan Missionary Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, and Marian Nirmalini , Superior General of the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel; the Reverend Sisters: María Rosaura González Casas , S.T.J., pro-Directo of the Institute of Psychology of the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome; Mary (Makamatine) Lembo , Vicar General of the Sisters of Saint Catherine Virgin and Martyr; Patricia Murray , C.J., former secretary of the International Union of Superiors General; and Maria do Disterro Rocha Santos , F.C.I.M., President of the Conferência dos Religiosos do Brasil.

This morning, after leaving the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV transferred to the Vatican heliport from where, at 7.55, he departe for Assisi on the occasion of the “ GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting 2026 ”.

Upon arrival at 8.28 in the “Migaghelli” sports field, the Pope was welcomed by Archbishop Felice Accrocca, bishop of Assisi; the Honourable Stefania Proietti, President of the Umbria Region; Dr. Francesco Zito, Prefect of Perugia; Dr. Valter Stoppini, Mayor of Assisi; and Dr. Massimiliano Presciutti, President of the Province of Perugia.

The Holy Father immediately transferred by car to the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Porziuncola, where he greeted the crowd of young people gathered in the square in front.

The Pope was welcomed in front of the Basilica by the Ministers General of the Franciscan Orders, Br. Massimo Fusarelli, O.FM.; Br. Carlos Alberto Trovarelli, O.F.M. Conv.; and Br. Roberto Genuin, O.F.M. Cap.

Pope Leo XIV then met with the young people in Piazza Santa Maria degli Angeli.

At the end of the meeting, the Holy Father Leo XIV proceeded to the cloister of the convent, where he greeted all the Franciscans present.

Then, inside the convent, the Pope greeted the bishops present, and the members of the National Committee for the Eighth Centenary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi.

The following is the text of the Holy Father’s conversation with the young people participating in the meeting in Piazza Santa Maria degli Angeli:

 

Question from Karolina (Zagreb)

Holy Father,

My name is Karolina, I come from Croatia, from the parish and basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua in Zagreb. We have grown up in Franciscan parishes, accompanied by the friars, learning from Saint Francis that the Gospel is proclaimed above all through the witness of our lives, through joy, simplicity, fraternity and closeness to every person. Thanks to this experience we have discovered a living faith that does not remain confined within our churches, but finds expression in service, welcome and hope for others.

Today, however, we live in a rapidly changing world, where many young people struggle to find points of reference, to build authentic relationships and open their hearts to God. We too want to be credible witnesses to the Gospel wherever we live, study and work, and to bring the light of Christ with the simplicity and fraternal spirit of Saint Francis.

Holy Father, what advice would you give to us young people who have grown up in the Franciscan spiritual tradition, so that we may remain true disciples of Christ and bring hope to our peers, without losing the joy of the Gospel, the simplicity of heart and that closeness to others which gives Christian witness its credibility?

 

The Holy Father’s Reply

Thank you, Karolina, for this question. First of all, good morning to all of you! I also greet the young people who are already inside the Basilica, who, I believe, are joining us via livestream. I am very happy to be here with you! Now, Karolina, thank you for your question.

I think that everyone listening sensed that your question already contained part of the answer. You yourself have borne witness to that spirit of simplicity, fraternity and closeness which has won your heart and enabled you to grow in faith within a community that remains open to everyone.

Your experience comes from a part of Europe that, only thirty years ago, was marked by war and the dangerous intertwining of religious identity and nationalism. Yet for centuries the Franciscans have fostered dialogue and encouraged peaceful coexistence among Catholics, Orthodox and Muslims. Today, remaining faithful to this tradition of closeness means swimming against the current. It means purifying memory and cultivating reconciliation.

Increasingly, Christians will be called to become artisans of peace within societies that are tempted to place religion at the service of competing identities. Being witnesses to Christ, therefore, is both captivating and demanding. It enlarges our minds and hearts, freeing us from artificial boundaries, from the fears created by misinformation and from walls built by prejudice. Rejecting the culture of power and building a civilization of love are choices that are not immediately understood or accepted. Saint Francis, however, teaches that radicalism of the Gospel is the very opposite of fundamentalism. It does not make us blind or violent; instead, it makes us aware, attentive and always eager to follow Jesus, and therefore humble and welcoming towards everyone. It is not an easy path, but it brings much joy.

Now try to imagine this very place, but eight centuries ago. Here, in the open countryside, hundreds of young friars from all over Europe had gathered around Francis. Picture them as the Sources describe them: “company by company, here forty, there a hundred and there eighty together, all employed in speaking of God, in prayers, in tears and in exercises of charity, behaving themselves with so great silence and with such sobriety that no clamor was heard there” ( The Little Flowers of Saint Francis of Assisi , XVIII).

That silence stands in stark contrast to war, with its violence, clamor and cruelty. The simple mats on which those friars slept speak to us of peace — just like your sleeping bags today. This is the Church: an assembly of brothers and sisters to which everyone is invited. Dear young people, how beautiful it is to gather together to “speak of God” and, in his light, to reflect on life itself, in all its beauty, mystery and seriousness! Bear witness to this way of life wherever you are, especially at a time when technology is making us less accustomed to meeting one another face to face, in person.

Saint Francis understood that embracing poverty enables us to draw near to those who are far away, to foster encounters and to exchange our gifts. In this way, he grasped that the Gospel cannot be separated from the choices made by Jesus Christ, who became poor that we might become rich (cf. 2 Cor 8:9). The Gospel is Jesus’ own life, his journey and his unwavering trust in his Father. Whenever we gather in his name, he is present in our midst (cf. Mt 18:20), and our hearts are filled with a joy that is free and genuine (cf. Jn 20:20). More than words, it is this joy that evangelizes, and it cannot be hidden. Thank you.

 

Question from Giovanni (Bologna)

Holy Father,

My name is Giovanni, I am 27 and come from Bologna. We young people live in a culture dominated by the temporary, where the prospect of making a lifelong commitment fills us with fear. Yet God, in his unique and loving way, continually speaks to us and calls us to follow him, promising us life and joy, while gradually revealing our vocation.

My question is this: How can we say a full and courageous “yes” to him, without “putting our hand to the plough and looking back,” by dwelling too much on the hardships and sacrifices that the journey may entail? What helped you most on your own vocational journey?

 

The Holy Father’s Reply

Thank you, Giovanni, for this question, one which I would say is courageous. It expresses a longing for what endures. Today we tend to speak negatively about what is temporary. Yet there was a time when it was the Church herself who constantly taught people to appreciate the meaning of the temporary, for this world is passing away, time hastens on, earthly realities are fleeting. God alone remains, because God is eternal. We must therefore ask ourselves what has changed. Otherwise, we risk becoming people who simply long for the past, while failing to face the present or take responsibility for the future.

Almost everywhere in the world, the stability that once characterized traditional societies is disappearing. Entire generations could once live their whole lives with very little change around them. Society was highly structured, and much of life seemed already mapped out. In that context, the Church encouraged people not to settle for a destiny that appeared already written, but to discover the eternal significance of every action. Today, by contrast, an often-confused understanding of freedom leads us to believe that nothing in life is ever truly decided, because the world around us changes so rapidly and we ourselves are constantly changing as well. Yet this illusion only increases our fears and makes it easier to lose our way. In such a context, the courage to make a definitive choice may well be the most revolutionary act of all.

Choosing “for ever” does not imprison us within a cage; rather, it opens us to a greater dynamism. To love is an exodus. It is a path to be discovered, a journey that God himself walks with us. This is the meaning of every vocation. Sacred Scripture continually invites us to live in this way: like those who are called to rise, to set out on the journey of their own history, and to receive from the Lord both its direction and meaning, so as to love according to his plan (cf. 1 Cor 13; 1 Jn 4). Here we see the inseparable bond between faith, trust and faithfulness. Faith unmasks the illusion that our problems can be solved by running away, or abandoning our commitments, or taking a few steps along ever-changing roads without ever truly arriving anywhere. We may multiply our experiences, our acquaintances and our possessions, yet remain in exactly the same place. The human cost is immense, and the inner emptiness that follows is profound. All too often, people end up using others and being used in turn. “For ever,” then, is a grace which God himself enables us to respond to through our own fidelity, so that we may attain the fullness of life (cf. Jn 10:10).

For this reason, from adolescence onwards it is important to learn to know ourselves, to make decisions and to stake our lives on them — in other words, to respond to the Lord who calls us. Nor in adulthood should we stop being faithful to the commitments we have already made and to those still to come. It is an adventure in which no one should ever feel alone, and one that, like faith itself, lasts until our final breath. Looking back on my own life, I can say that the Lord has never left me alone. He has always accompanied me, often by placing people beside me with whom I could share the journey. As a priest, as a member of the Augustinian community and as a missionary, I found a light that has guided me to this very day, even to the moment when I had to say “yes” to another and altogether unique calling: that of being Pope.

In embracing the unique plan that God has prepared for each of us, we discover that the deepest vocation, written in every human heart, is a call to communion. We hear that call not only once, but every day. Sin obscures this truth by introducing mistrust, rivalry and suspicion into our most fundamental relationships. Thanks to God, however, every vocation is also a journey of redemption and healing. Jesus’ invitation to follow him reveals our own dignity and teaches us to honor the dignity of others by placing our trust in them and proving ourselves worthy of their trust. This dynamic is so liberating that it deserves the wholehearted commitment of our lives. Thank you.

 

Question from Luigi (Paternò, Sicily)

Holy Father,

My name is Luigi. I am twenty-two years old and come from Paternò, a small town in Sicily. I speak on behalf of the Franciscan Youth of Sicily, a group of young people seeking to live the Franciscan charism. I would like to ask you about one aspect of Saint Francis that has always struck me deeply.

“Brother Francis promises obedience and reverence to the Lord Pope Honorius and to his canonically elected successors, and to the Roman Church” ( Rule , I). Although he lived in a time when the Church was marked by contradictions and internal difficulties, he did not choose the path of heresy. He did not attack or judge the Church of his day but instead chose obedience to the Pope — a free and revolutionary decision, fully in keeping with his spirit of being “lesser.” His only desire was to overcome the poverty of judgment through the compassion and reparation that only love can bring.

Today many young people say that they “believe, but not in the Church.” Even within our own communities we sometimes see a Church marked by contradictions and internal crises. So, my question is this: How can we remain faithful to this reparative love? Why is it so difficult today to see the Church as a Mother who, despite her wounds, is always ready to welcome us and to love us?

 

The Holy Father’s Reply

Thank you, Luigi. Yours is a timely question that brings us to the heart of Saint Francis’ experience. To answer it is to share in a longing — the very longing of the Lord Jesus for his Church. Francis came to know that desire while contemplating Christ Crucified. We too must always return to that desire. Throughout history, and even today, many people struggle to experience the Church as Jesus desires her to be. This causes deep suffering; it leaves wounds and disappointments, and for some it even becomes an obstacle to faith.

In the Gospel, Jesus himself warns us about this danger, namely the scandal that his disciples can cause, especially to the little ones and the poor. Yet from the very beginning, his desire was to gather a people in whom everything that ordinarily divides humanity would be overcome. Around Jesus, men and women became brothers and sisters who otherwise would never have met. Whenever this miracle continues to take place in the Church — and thanks to God, it still does — it remains something extraordinary, even in our cities, where so many invisible walls continue to separate people from one another. How many forms of discrimination and inequality disappear the moment we begin to recognize one another as brothers and sisters!

There is another aspect of this revolutionary unity. Jesus says: “It shall not be so among you” ( Mk 10:43). Things are not to be as they are among the rulers of this world, who seek power, prestige and domination. Rather, Jesus tells us: “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be the slave of all” (vv. 43-44.). Jesus’ desire for the Church is unmistakable: she is to become his Body and make his own life visible by exercising a different kind of authority — one that does not oppress but raises others up.

The word of God, the Sacraments and the practice of fraternal love are the means by which the image of Christ is formed within us. Francis walked this path: not to dominate, but to serve; not to grasp, but to receive; not to withhold, but to give back. This is the very life of God, which continually renews the Church and makes her a free people, a place of refreshment and salvation. “Francis, go and rebuild my house, which, as you see, is falling into ruin!” ( Second Life of Saint Francis, 10) . Each of us has a part to play in this work that is always underway. We have different responsibilities and different vocations, yet we walk together, encouraging one another, supporting one another and correcting one another along the way. What matters is that each of us faithfully fulfils the role entrusted to us. Then we shall speak of the Church with the affection one has for a mother, because we shall know that we belong to her. Ours will be a love that embraces the people and the history through which Jesus Christ comes to us and remains with us: “I am with you always, until the end of the age” ( Mt 28:20). This is the Gospel we proclaim, humbly. To share in our Lord’s desire, we do not need to appear better than we really are. Rather, we need only acknowledge the Risen Jesus in our lives and allow him to act. Thank you.

Let us conclude this first part by asking for God’s grace, the Lord’s blessing on each and every one of us. [Blessing]

This morning’s General Audience took place at 10.00 in the Vatican Basilica, 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 resumed his cycle of catechesis on “ The Documents of the Second Vatican Council ”, focusing on the theme: Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium. The prayer of the Church (Reading: Eph 6: 18-19).

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 Documents of the Second Vatican Council. II. Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium . 5. The prayer of the Church

Brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

In this catechism, we will resume our reflection on the Conciliar Constitution on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium ( SC ). Today we will look at the ecclesial dimension of liturgical prayer.

As the Apostle Paul suggests, it is the Holy Spirit who teaches us to pray. From the day of Pentecost, the Spirit dwells in the Church, inspiring every one of her activities and, in particular, prayer. The life of the first community, born in Jerusalem after the Pasch of Jesus, is life in the Spirit given by the risen Lord. “From that time onwards the Church has never failed to come together to celebrate the paschal mystery: reading those things ‘which were in all the scriptures concerning him’ ( Lk 24:27), celebrating the Eucharist in which ‘the victory and triumph of his death are again made present’, and at the same time giving thanks ‘to God for his unspeakable gift’ ( 2 Cor 9:15) in Christ Jesus, ‘in praise of his glory’ ( Eph . 1:12), through the power of the Holy Spirit” ( SC , 6).

In our time, in contexts dominated by an efficiency-driven and consumerist mindset, prayer may seem pointless and trivial. In a world where science and technology claim to provide all the answers, praying may appear to be a form of escapism. Furthermore, even in many Christian families, the tradition of prayer is no longer passed on, whilst many people risk confusing it with just another technique, of a psychological nature aimed at personal well-being. Prayer, however, as a fundamental dimension of our humanity, is worth rediscovering in its true form.

The Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium took this need seriously. This greatly pleased Pope Saint Paul VI , who, on promulgating this first document approved by the Second Vatican Council , stated: “God comes first; prayer is our primary duty; the liturgy is the primary source of the divine life communicated to us, the primary school of our spiritual life” ( Address, Saint Peter’s Basilica, 4 December 1963).

Indeed, in the Constitution, the term “prayer” designates the liturgy as a whole. This perspective is decisive, for it guided the liturgical reform, making the active participation of the faithful its central pillar. The liturgy is presented first and foremost as the place of encounter, of God’s initiative in drawing near to humanity in his Son, “the Word made flesh, anointed by the Holy Spirit” ( SC , 5), to whom we may respond “through Christ, with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit”, that is to say, thanks to “the very prayer which Christ Himself, together with His Body, addresses to the Father” ( SC , 84).

For this reason, Saint Paul VI ardently desired that the Liturgy of the Hours, the Church’s daily public prayer, inseparable from the Eucharist, might deeply permeate, enliven, guide and express all Christian prayer, and effectively nourish the spiritual life of the People of God (cf. Apostolic Constitution Laudis canticum ).

For this desire to be fulfilled, the Liturgy of the Hours needs to be more fully embraced and lived out in the daily lives of the baptized and of the communities. To the many people who wish to learn to pray, especially catechumens, it can offer the path and the school of Christian prayer.

Every week and every day, the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours are the breath of the life of the Church, which makes the Holy Spirit circulate through her Body. In this prayer, Christ “joins the entire community of mankind to Himself, associating it with His own singing of this canticle of divine praise” ( SC , 83). In this way, day by day, we are ever more united with the Paschal Mystery and conformed to him.

Saint Augustine affirms that “When we speak to God in prayer for mercy, we do not separate the Son from Him; and when the Body of the Son prays, it separates not its Head from itself: and it is one Saviour of His Body, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who both prays for us, and prays in us, and is prayed to by us. He prays for us, as our Priest; He prays in us, as our Head; He is prayed to by us, as our God. Let us therefore recognize in Him our words, and His words in us” ( Enarr. in psalmum LXXXVI: PL 37, 1081).

Bound to the Eucharist, whose light it prolongs, the Liturgy of the Hours sanctifies the time of our daily lives: in the morning, we begin the day with faith and gratitude; at midday, we ask for the strength to remain faithful amidst our labours; in the evening, once our work is done, Vespers accompany the moment of sunset; at night, we fall asleep entrusting ourselves to God’s peace. Each Hour is an act of hope: during our earthly pilgrimage, we keep watch, awaiting with the whole Church the glorious return of the Lord.

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Greeting in English

I extend a warm welcome to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially those from England, Malta and the United States of America. Upon you and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you all!

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Summary of the Holy Father's words

Dear brothers and sisters,

In our continuing series of catecheses on the Second Vatican Council 's Constitution on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium , today we turn our attention to the ecclesial dimension of the Church’s liturgical prayer. Far from avoiding the world and its needs, all prayer, especially in the entire liturgy, is the essential dimension of our humanity. In our prayer we unite ourselves with Jesus to offer praise and thanksgiving to God the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit. In a particular way, Saint Paul VI expressed a longing that the Liturgy of the Hours, the daily public prayer of the Church, would be prayed by all the members of Christ’s Body. In this way, we will allow the Holy Spirit to breathe into each thought and action, inspiring a deeper experience of the Paschal Mystery. My brothers and sisters, may we find the spiritual nourishment necessary on our earthly pilgrimage by joining with the whole Church in her liturgical prayer as we await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Having accepted the invitation of the Heads of State and ecclesiastical Authorities of the respective countries, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV will undertake an Apostolic Journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, from 6 to 17 November 2026.  His Holiness will visit Montevideo, Paysandú and Florida, from 6 to 8 November; Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Luján, from 8 to 11 November; and Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa, from 11 to 17 November.

The itinerary for the Journey will be announced in due course.