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This morning, in the New Synod Hall, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the participants in the annual meeting of moderators of Associations of the faithful, Ecclesial Movements and New Communities, promoted by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, taking place from 21 to 22 May 2026.

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

 

Address of the Holy Father

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you!

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning to you all!

It is a please to meet with you this morning, to offer some words, some reflections, but above all to think about the importance of the charisms of the Holy Spirit, especially in these days before Pentecost.

I am delighted to welcome you once again this year, at the start of your meeting. You hold positions of responsibility, at an international level, within many different lay organisations, and you have been invited by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life to strengthen the bonds of communion amongst you and to reflect together on the theme of the governance of an ecclesial community.

In every social entity there exists a need for suitable people and structures to guide and coordinate communal life. At its root, the term “to govern” refers to the action of “holding the helm”, of “steering a ship”. It is, therefore, a matter of providing a sure direction, so that the community may be a place of growth for the people who belong to it. Thus, in the Church too, some are assigned to governance.

However, in the Church, governance does not arise simply from the need to coordinate the religious needs of its members. The Church was established by Christ as a lasting sign of His universal salvific will and is the place, willed by God, where all people, in every age, may receive the fruits of Redemption and experience the new life that Christ has given us. In this sense, the nature of the Church is sacramental: it certainly has an external and institutional dimension with its structures and, at the same time, is an effective sign of communion through which we participate in the very life of the Trinity.

These distinctive characteristics of the Church are by necessity also present in its governance, which is never merely technical; on the contrary, it has a salvific orientation in itself, that is, it must be directed towards the spiritual good of the faithful. Indeed, Saint Paul counts it among the charisms: there are “workers of miracles”, he writes, “then healers, helpers, administrators, speakers in various kinds of tongues” ( 1 Cor 12:28).

With these premises in mind, let us now turn our attention to associations of the faithful and ecclesial movements. Here, governance is generally entrusted to laypeople and expresses participation in the royal munus of Christ received in Baptism. It is placed at the service of other faithful and of the life of the association, and is the fruit of free elections, which must be understood as an expression of common discernment: allowing everyone’s voice to be freely expressed.

If, as we have said, governance is a particular gift of the Holy Spirit, which the members of a community recognize as present in some of their brethren in the faith, at least three consequences derive from this. The first is that it must be for the benefit of all (cf. 1 Cor 12:7), that is, to promote the good of the community, of the association, and of the whole Church. Governance, therefore, can never be exploited for personal interests or worldly forms of prestige and power. The second consequence is that it can never be imposed from above, but must be a gift recognizable within the community and freely accepted; hence the importance of free elections to bring it into effect. The third consequence is that, like every charism, the governance of an association is also subject to the discernment of the Pastors, who monitor the authenticity and orderly use of charisms (cf. Lumen gentium , 12; Iuvenescit Ecclesia , 9 and 17).

Certain characteristics must always be present in governance: mutual listening, shared responsibility, transparency, fraternal closeness, and communal discernment (cf. Address to the participants in the General Chapter of the Legionaries of Christ , 19 February 2026). In addition to this, I would like to recall that “good governance, instead of focusing everything on itself, promotes subsidiarity and the responsible participation of all the members of the community” ( ibid .). These are simple guidelines, but ones always to be kept in mind in the exercise of authority.

Dear friends, your associations and movements have different origins and possess well-defined histories, identities and ideals. Those who govern them, therefore, take on a delicate task: on the one hand, they are called to safeguard and promote the memory of a living heritage; on the other, they have a “prophetic” role, which involves listening to current pastoral needs in order to understand how to respond to the new challenges and to the cultural, social and spiritual sensibilities of our time. Indeed, only in this way can one be a Christian, a disciple and a missionary in today’s society and Church. Part of the prophetic task of those in leadership, therefore, is to promote the openness of the association or movement—and of each of its members—to historical situations. Membership, in fact, is authentic and fruitful when it is not limited to participation in activities within the group, but interprets the signs of the times and reaches outwards, addressing everyone, the culture of the times and mission areas that have not yet been explored.

Another element of vital importance is communion. Those who govern are required to have a particular sensitivity towards the safeguarding, growth and consolidation of communion. This applies both to life within the association or movement, and to communion with other ecclesial realities and with the Church as a whole. Those who exercise a mission of leadership in the Church must learn to listen to and welcome different opinions, different cultural and spiritual orientations, and different personal temperaments, always seeking to preserve, especially in necessary and often difficult decisions, the greater good of communion. This requires a witness of meekness, detachment and selfless love for one’s brothers and sisters and for the community, which serves as an example to everyone.

Here I would like to emphasize the importance of this dimension of communion with the Church as a whole. At times we find groups who close themselves up and think that their specific reality is the only one, or that it is the Church, but the Church is all of us, it is much more! And so our movements must truly endeavour to live in communion with the entire Church, at diocesan level. The bishop is therefore a very important figure of reference, and if a group says, “No, we are not in communion with this bishop, we want another one”, this will not do. We must try to live in communion with all the Church, at diocesan level as well as at universal level.

In this light, we can better understand the meaning of fidelity to the founding charism, which constitutes an indispensable point of reference for the governance of an ecclesial community. Every authentic charism already contains within itself fidelity and openness to the Church. To govern in a manner faithful to the founding charism therefore means finding in it the inspiration to open oneself to the journey the Church is undertaking in the present, without becoming entrenched in the models—however positive—of the past, but allowing oneself to be challenged by new realities and challenges, in dialogue with all the other members of the ecclesial body.

Dear friends, thank you for all that you are and all that you do. Associations of the faithful and ecclesial movements are an inestimable gift to the Church. There is great richness amongst you: so many well-formed people and so many fine evangelizers; so many young people and diverse vocations to the priesthood and married life. The variety of charisms, gifts and methods of apostolate developed over the years allows you to be present in the fields of culture, art, social life and work, bringing the light of the Gospel everywhere. Cherish and, with God’s grace, nurture all these gifts! The Church supports and accompanies you.

I bless you from the heart, invoking for all of you the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church.

This morning, the Holy Father received in audience:

- His Eminence Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith;

- Archbishop Giordano Piccinotti, S.D.B., titular of Gradisca, president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See;

- Ambassadors of Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, Yemen, Rwanda, Namibia, Mauritius, Chad and Sri Lanka, on the occasion of the presentation of their credential letters;

- Members of the Presidency of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE);

- His Eminence Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, archbishop of Guadalajara, Mexico;

- Participants in the meeting of moderators of Associations of the faithful, Ecclesial Movements and New Communities.

This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the Ambassadors of Bangladesh, Chad, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka and Yemen to the Holy See, on the occasion of the presentation of their credential letters.

The following is the Pope’s address to the new Ambassadors:

 

Address of the Holy Father

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I welcome all of you cordially on the occasion of the presentation of the Letters accrediting you as Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Holy See on behalf of your respective countries: Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, Yemen, Rwanda, Namibia, Mauritius, Chad and Sri Lanka. I ask you kindly to convey my respectful greetings to your Heads of State, together with the assurance of my prayers for them and for your fellow citizens.

I am particularly pleased to receive you as the Church approaches the Solemnity of Pentecost, recalling how the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, transforming fear into courage and division into unity by enabling them to speak in the languages of all peoples. It is my hope that a similar vision of unity may inspire the world of diplomacy, where constructive relations among nations flourish through genuine openness, the fostering of mutual respect and a shared sense of responsibility.

In this regard, I wish to renew the appeal I made in my Address to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps this past January. In a time when “peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominion,” there is an urgent need for a return to “a diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus” on all levels — bilateral, regional, and multilateral. Such dialogue, “motivated by a sincere search for ways leading to peace,” demands that words once again express clear realities without distortion or hostility. Only then can misunderstandings be overcome and trust be rebuilt in the context of international relations.

Yet courteous and clear dialogue, essential though it is, must be accompanied by a deeper conversion of heart: the willingness to set aside particular interests for the sake of the common good. No nation, no society and no international order can call itself just and humane if it measures its success solely by power or prosperity while neglecting those who live at the margins. Indeed, Christ’s love for the least and the forgotten compels us to reject every form of selfishness that leaves the poor and the vulnerable invisible (cf. Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te , 4 October 2025, 9).

It is precisely this spirit of self-giving solidarity that must animate the service of diplomats and strengthen the international organizations, in order to create spaces for encounter and mediation. These institutions remain indispensable instruments for resolving disputes and fostering cooperation. At a moment when geopolitical tensions continue to fragment our world further, it is necessary to make them more representative, effective and oriented toward the unity of the human family.

Your service as Ambassadors constitutes a valuable bridge of trust and cooperation between your countries and the Holy See. I pray that our shared efforts will contribute to a revitalized commitment to bilateral and multilateral engagement and help draw attention to those often forgotten at the margins of our societies. In this way, we can work together to lay firmer foundations for a more just, fraternal and peaceful world.

As you undertake your new responsibilities, I assure you of theSecretariat of State’s readiness to assist, together with the Dicasteries of theRoman Curia. May your mission strengthen dialogue, deepen mutual understanding and contribute to the peace so greatly needed in our world. Upon you, your loved ones and the Nations you represent, I invoke God’s abundant blessings, trusting that he will guide and sustain you in your noble service. Thank you!

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.

The Pope greeted His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church, who is currently on an official visit to the Vatican and attended the General Audience with his delegation.

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 liturgy in the mystery of the Church” (Reading: Eph 1:9-10).

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.

 

Greeting of the Holy Father to His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you.

Brothers and sisters, I am very happy to welcome His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church, together with the distinguished delegation accompanying him. This fraternal visit represents an important opportunity to strengthen the bonds of unity that already exist between us, as we move towards full communion between our Churches.

Your Holiness, in these days when we prepare for Pentecost, I invoke the grace of the Holy Spirit upon your pilgrimage to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and I invite all those present to pray fervently to the Lord that your visit and meetings may constitute a further step on the path towards full unity. Let us also pray for peace in Lebanon and the Middle East, once again torn apart by violence and war.

Your Holiness, I wish to express my particular gratitude for your constant personal commitment to ecumenism, especially to the international theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches.

Welcome, Your Holiness, dear bishops and dear friends! Together, let us invoke the intercession of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, Saint Gregory of Nareg, Saint Nerses the Gracious and, above all, the Virgin Mother of God, that they may enlighten our path towards the fullness of that unity we all desire.

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Catechesis. The Documents of the Second Vatican Council. III. Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium.  1. The liturgy in the mystery of the Church

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

Today we are beginning a new series of catecheses on the first Document issued by the Second Vatican Council: the Constitution on the sacred liturgy,  Sacrosanctum Concilium   ( SC ).

In drafting  this Constitution , the Council Fathers sought not only to undertake a reform of the rites, but to lead the Church to contemplate and deepen that living bond which constitutes and unites her: the mystery of Christ. Indeed, the liturgy touches the very heart of this mystery: it is at once the space, the time and the context in which the Church receives her very life from Christ. For in the liturgy, “the work of our redemption is accomplished” ( SC , 2), which makes us a chosen lineage, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people whom God has acquired for Himself (cf.  1 Pet  2:9).

As manifested by the threefold renewal – biblical, patristic and liturgical – that the Church underwent through the course of the twentieth century, the Mystery in question does not designate an obscure reality, but God’s salvific plan, hidden from all eternity and revealed in Christ, according to Saint Paul’s affirmation (cf . Eph  3:2-6). Here, then, is the Christian Mystery: the Paschal event, that is to say, the passion, death, resurrection and glorification of Christ, which is made sacramentally present to us precisely in the liturgy, so that every time we take part in the assembly gathered “in his name” (cf.  Mt  18:20) we are immersed in this Mystery.

Christ Himself is the inner source of the mystery of the Church, the holy people of God, born from His side pierced on the cross. In the holy liturgy, through the power of His Spirit, He continues to act. He sanctifies and unites the Church, His bride, to His offering to the Father. He exercises His utterly unique priesthood, He who is present in the proclaimed Word, in the sacraments, in the ministers who celebrate, in the gathered community and, in the highest degree, in the Eucharist (cf.  SC , 7). Thus, according to Saint Augustine (cf.  Sermon , 277), in celebrating the Eucharist the Church “receives the Body of the Lord and becomes what she receives”: she becomes the Body of Christ, “a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” ( Eph  2:22). This is the “work of our redemption”, which conforms us to Christ and builds us up in communion.

In the holy liturgy, this communion is achieved through “rites and prayers” ( SC , 48). The rituality of the Church expresses her faith – in accordance with the familiar saying  lex orandi, lex credendi  – and at the same time shapes ecclesial identity: the proclaimed Word, the celebration of the Sacrament, the gestures, the silences, the space – all this represents and gives form to the people gathered by the Father, the Body of Christ, the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Every celebration thus becomes a true epiphany of the Church in prayer, as  Saint John Paul II  recalled (Apostolic Letter  Vicesimus   quintus annus , 9).

If the liturgy is at the service of the mystery of Christ, one understands why it has been defined as “the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed … the font from which all her power flows” ( SC , 10). It is true that the action of the Church is not limited to the liturgy alone; however, all her activity (preaching, service to the poor, the accompaniment of human realities) converges towards this “summit”). Conversely, the liturgy sustains the faithful by immersing them ever and anew in the Pasch of the Lord and, thus, through the proclamation of the Word, the celebration of the sacraments and communal prayer, they are refreshed, encouraged and renewed in their commitment to faith and in their mission. In other words, the participation of the faithful in the liturgical action is at once “internal” and “external”.

This also means that it is called to unfold in a tangible way throughout daily life, in an ethical and spiritual dynamic, so that the liturgy celebrated is translated into life and demands a faithful existence, capable of making concrete what has been experienced in the celebration: it is in this way that our life becomes a “living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God”, fulfilling our “spiritual worship” ( Rom  12:1).

In this way, “the liturgy daily builds up those who are within into a holy temple of the Lord” ( SC , 2), and forms an open community, welcoming to all. Indeed, it is inhabited by the Holy Spirit, it introduces us into the life of Christ, it makes us His Body and, in all its dimensions, it represents a sign of the unity of the entire human race in Christ. As  Pope Francis  said, “the world still does not know it, but everyone is invited to the supper of the wedding of the Lamb ( Rev  19:9)” (Apostolic Letter  Desiderio desideravi , 5).

Dear friends, let us allow ourselves to be shaped inwardly by the rites, symbols, gestures and above all the living presence of Christ in the liturgy, which we will have the opportunity to explore in the coming Catecheses.

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Greeting in English

I greet this morning all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly the groups from England, Ireland, Tanzania, India, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Canada and the United States of America, as well as the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums from Canada. Upon all of you, and upon your families, I invoke the joy and peace of the risen Jesus! God bless you!

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Summary of the Holy Father's words

Dear Brothers and Sisters, as we continue our series of catecheses on the Second Vatican Council, today we consider the Dogmatic Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy,  Sacrosanctum Concilium . This document teaches that the liturgy immerses us in the mystery of Christ’s passion, death, resurrection and glorification. Through liturgical rites and prayers, and by the power of the Spirit, Jesus exercises his priesthood and sanctifies the Church, his spouse, uniting her to his own oblation to the Father. Indeed, Christ is present in the word that is proclaimed, in the sacraments, in the ministers, in the community, and most of all in the Eucharist. Let us allow ourselves to be shaped from within by the rites, symbols, gestures and above all by the living presence of Christ in the liturgy, which we will have further opportunity to explore.

Appointment of auxiliary bishop of the Military Ordinariate for Brazil

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Fabrício do Prado Nunes, of the clergy of the diocese of Bagé, assessor of the archbishop of the Military Ordinariate, as auxiliary bishop of the Military Ordinariate for Brazil, assigning him the titular see of Tadamata.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Fabrício do Prado Nunes was born on 14 February 1978 in São Gabriel, diocese of Bagé, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul.

After studying philosophy at the Universidade Católica in Pelotas and theology at the Instituto de Teologia Paulo VI in Pelotas, he graduated in jurisprudence from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul , and was awarded a master’s degree in public policy and regional development from the Centro Universitário do Estado do Pará and a postgraduate specialization in Complementary Applications to Military Sciences.

He was ordained a priest on 3 August 2003, and incardinated into the diocese of Bagé.

He has held the following offices: parish priest of Sagrada Família in Bagé; youth pastoral counsellor for the diocese of Bagé; parish priest of Sant’Ana in Santana do Livramento; lecturer in theology at the Universidade Católica in Pelotas, and in law in the Faculdade Pan Amazônica in Belém do Pará; and within the Military Ordinariate for Brazil, military chaplain of the army and chaplain of the 23rd Brazilian Battalion in Haiti.

He is currently a member of the Council of Priests and assessor of the archbishop of the Military Ordinariate for Brazil.