When Pope Leo XIV visits Africa for the first time as pontiff next week, Catholics and others across the continent will be watching with interest for what it reveals about the pope’s agenda and priorities for their region. One of those watching will be Bishop John Niyiring of Kano, Nigeria, a fellow Augustinian and longtime friend of the pope.

The pope is scheduled to visit Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Cameroon on his first apostolic journey to the continent April 13–23.

Growing conflict between African Muslims and Christians

Niyiring is concerned about the state of Christian-Muslim relations in Africa, particularly in Muslim-majority countries such as Algeria.

Niyiring described the situation as one of fear between the two religions. His comments on the situation echo those of several African prelates who have recently voiced concern over the plight of Christians on the continent, highlighting the struggle Christians often face to practice their faith in predominantly Muslim African countries.

“There is always that fear between Christianity and Islam,” Niyiring told EWTN News. “Islam is becoming a religion that is quite strong in Africa, and we Christians will have to engage with Muslim leaders. … But it is dialogue that takes that fear out. Without dialogue, people will always be suspicious and afraid of one another. I am sure that the Holy Father will say something about that.”

Niyiring said he hopes the pope’s trip also raises awareness of other issues often ignored in the West, including poverty, political corruption, and the plight of young girls in Africa.

“In many countries, perhaps in the West, nobody discusses the issues facing young girls on the streets. We see many of them on our streets [as victims of sex trafficking], and there are situations where they don’t get the attention they need, especially in education,” he said.

Regarding politicians, the bishop said: “In Africa today, there are people who want to be in government, but they’re hardly interested in the well-being of their people. We would like to hear Leo say more about [political corruption], encouraging our leaders to be leaders who love their people and are there to serve them.”

Serving with the then-Father Robert Prevost

The future pope, then-Father Robert Prevost, served as prior general of the Augustinians from 2001 to 2013. During this period, Prevost played a key role in helping establish a new province for the Augustinians in Nigeria, an experience that greatly enhanced the future pope’s knowledge of the country and the African continent.

“His trip to Nigeria in 2001 — one of several he made there — was the first canonical visit he made outside Rome as prior general. I worked closely with him after I became the provincial superior of the Augustinians in Nigeria in 2005, until I became a bishop in 2008. His presence there was crucial. There were also projects underway in Nigeria and across Africa, and he helped a lot in raising funds to build them. I brought many problems to his attention as the provincial of a young order. And he was always attentive and always emphasized the importance of finding new approaches to issues,” Niyiring said.

Niyiring also praised the pope’s leadership style while serving the Augustinians, noting his attentiveness and calm.

“He has a pleasant personality. He was always attentive and always emphasized the importance of finding new approaches to issues. He encouraged us to be open to the promptings of the spirit and willing to change in situations that needed it.”

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday welcomed the announcement of a two-week ceasefire in the Iran war and urged negotiation and prayer to end the war in the Middle East.

“Following these recent hours of great tension for the Middle East and for the whole world, I welcome with satisfaction and as a sign of living hope the announcement of an immediate two-week truce,” the pope said at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square on April 8.

Commenting in the wake of a ceasefire deal between the United States, Israel, and Iran, Leo said, “only through a return to negotiation can the war come to an end.”

“I urge that this time of delicate diplomatic work be accompanied by prayer, in the hope that readiness for dialogue may become the means to resolve other situations of conflict in the world. I renew for all the invitation to join me in the prayer vigil for peace that we will celebrate here in St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, April 11,” he said.

In comments to the press on the evening of April 7, the pope renewed his forceful appeal for an end to war and urged an embrace of dialogue, distinguishing himself as a singular global voice calling for restraint and moral accountability amid bellicose statements from U.S. leadership.

The first U.S.-born pope called on U.S. citizens to plead with elected officials to work for peace in remarks to the press as he left his residence in Castel Gandolfo, 18 miles south of Rome, and called threats to destroy Iran’s civilization unacceptable.

Leo said “attacks on civilian infrastructure [are] against international law [and] also a sign of the hatred, the division, the destruction that the human being is capable of ... We all want to work for peace. People want peace. I would invite citizens of all the countries involved to contact the authorities, political leaders, congressmen, to ask them, tell them to work for peace and to reject war.”

Catechesis: Holiness is more than an ethical commitment

Before his appeal, the pope spoke about the Second Vatican II constitution Lumen gentium.

The pontiff emphasized that holiness is not a privilege reserved for an elite or a mere “ethical commitment,” but a vocation and a gift that involves all the baptized.

“Holiness, according to the Conciliar Constitution, is not a privilege for a few, but a gift that commits every baptized person to strive for the perfection of charity, that is, the fullness of love toward God and toward one’s neighbor,” the pope said.

“Charity is the heart of the holiness to which all believers are called,” he affirmed, noting that its highest expression, as in the early days of the Church, is martyrdom — that is, the willingness to confess Christ even to the shedding of blood.

“This readiness for witness becomes a reality whenever Christians leave signs of faith and love in society, committing themselves to justice,” the pontiff explained in his catechesis.

Along this path, he added, the sacraments — and in a particular way the Eucharist — are the nourishment that fosters a holy life, assimilating each person to Christ, the model and measure of all holiness.

He stressed that holiness does not have “only a practical nature, as if it could be reduced to an ethical commitment, however great, but concerns the very essence of Christian life, both personal and communal.”

Consecrated life: A prophetic sign

The pontiff also recalled that Lumen gentium defines holiness as a constitutive characteristic of the Catholic Church, which is conceived as “indefectibly holy.”

However, he clarified that this affirmation does not imply a full and completed perfection, but rather a call “to confirm this divine gift during her pilgrimage toward the eternal destination,” walking — citing Saint Augustine — “amid the persecutions of the world and the consolations of God.”

In this context, the pope also addressed the reality of sin within the Church, emphasizing that this reality calls everyone to a serious process of personal and communal conversion. “The infinite grace that sanctifies the Church entrusts to us a daily mission: that of our conversion,” he affirmed.

The pope devoted a significant portion of his reflection to consecrated life, which he described as a prophetic sign of the new world already present in the mystery of the Church. In this sense, he noted that the evangelical counsels — poverty, chastity, and obedience — are signs of the Kingdom of God and give shape to every experience of consecrated life.

Leo XIV concluded by emphasizing that these virtues are not limits to freedom, but gifts that liberate, bestowed by the Holy Spirit. In this way, he said, consecrated persons bear witness to the universal vocation to holiness through a radical following of Christ, recalling that even the experience of suffering, when lived in union with the Lord’s Passion, can become a path of holiness and transformation.

Redemptive suffering

Thus, the pontiff explained that there is no human experience that “God does not redeem.”

“Even suffering, lived in union with the Passion of the Lord, becomes a path of holiness. The grace that converts and transforms life thus strengthens us in every trial, pointing us not toward a distant ideal, but toward the encounter with God, who became man out of love,” he concluded.

This story was updated on April 8, 2026, at 1:57 p.m. with the popeʼs catechesis. Part of this story was originally published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News' Spanish-language sister agency. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV renewed his forceful appeal for an end to war and urged an embrace of dialogue, distinguishing himself as a singular global voice calling for restraint and moral accountability amid bellicose statements from U.S. leadership.

The first U.S.-born pope called on U.S. citizens to plead with elected officials to work for peace in remarks to the press April 7 and called threats to destroy Iran’s civilization unacceptable. Earlier in the day, President Donald Trump promised on social media the annihilation of the “whole civilization” of Iran if the country fails to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The pope said “attacks on civilian infrastructure [are] against international law [and] also a sign of the hatred, the division, the destruction that the human being is capable of ... We all want to work for peace. People want peace. I would invite citizens of all the countries involved to contact the authorities, political leaders, congressmen, to ask them, tell them to work for peace and to reject war.”

He also said, speaking in Italian: “Today, as we all know, there was also this threat against the entire people of Iran, and this truly is not acceptable. Let us begin with dialogue. We should resolve problems without reaching this point, yet here we are. We must pray a great deal. I would like to invite everyone to pray, but also to look for ways to communicate, perhaps with members of Congress and with the authorities, to say that we do not want war, we want peace. We are a people who love peace, and there is a great need for peace in the world.”

“I would simply say, once again, what I said in the urbi et orbi message on Sunday, asking people of good will to search always for peace and not violence, to reject war, especially a war which many people have said is an unjust war, which is continuing to escalate and is not resolving anything,” the pope said. “We have a worldwide economic crisis, energy crisis, situation in the Middle East of great instability, which is only provoking more hatred throughout the world.”

The pope spoke to the press outside the papal villa of Castel Gandolfo before returning to Rome after a daylong stay there. He made his appeal in Italian and English and did not take reporters’ questions.

“Let’s come back to the table, let’s talk, let’s look for solutions in a peaceful way, and let’s remember especially the innocent,” the pope said. “Children, the elderly, the sick, so many people have already become or will become victims of this continued warfare.”

Pope Leo XIV leaves the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo on April 7, 2026. | Credit: Valentina Di Donato/EWTN News

Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly rejected rhetoric invoking God to justify loss of life. “Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” Leo said on Palm Sunday.

On April 7, Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, underscored the pope’s repeated calls for peace and urged Trump to avoid war with Iran.

Carrying hope

Pope Leo XIV in his Easter homily called for peace throughout the world, urging Christians to carry the hope of the Resurrection into a world wounded by war, violence, and injustice.

Leo used his first Easter urbi et orbi message April 5 to make a forceful appeal for an end to war and a renewed embrace of dialogue. He will lead a prayer vigil for peace on April 11 at St. Peter’s Basilica.

The pope has repeatedly condemned war, saying it is a moral failure rooted in abuse of power and domination rather than dialogue. He urged those “who have weapons to lay them down” and those with power “to choose peace — not peace imposed by force, but through dialogue.”

In the Easter message, the pope warned that the world is sliding into a “globalization of indifference” toward the suffering and deaths caused by war.

Valentina Di Donato contributed to this story.

On his first Easter Monday as pope, Leo XIV appeared at the window of the Apostolic Palace under bright sunshine and clear skies to lead the Regina Caeli with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

“Dear brothers and sisters, Christ is risen! Happy Easter!“ he exclaimed. “This greeting, full of wonder and joy, will accompany us throughout the week. As we celebrate this new day that the Lord has made for us, the liturgy celebrates the entrance of all creation into the time of salvation: The despair of death has been banished forever, in the name of Jesus.”

He continued: “Today’s Gospel asks us to choose between two accounts: that of the women, who encountered the Risen One, or that of the guards, who were bribed by the leaders of the Sanhedrin.”

The women proclaim “the victory of Christ over death,” while the guards “proclaim that death always wins, no matter what,” the pope said, illustrating two opposing versions of the same event. In the guards’ version, Christ did not rise, “but his body was stolen,” the pope recalled. From this comes the fact that “from the same event — the empty tomb — two interpretations spring forth: One is a source of new and eternal life, the other of certain and definitive death,” he explained.

This contrast “makes us reflect on the value of Christian witness and the honesty of human communication. Often, in fact, the telling of the truth is obscured by what we today call fake news — that is, lies, insinuations, and baseless accusations. Yet in the face of such obstacles, the truth does not remain hidden; on the contrary, it comes to meet us, alive and radiant, illuminating even the densest darkness,” he continued.

Christ is the good news to be proclaimed to the world, he said: “The Lord’s passover is our passover, the passover of humanity, because this man, who died for us, is the Son of God, who gave his life for us.”

Leo then turned his thoughts to “peoples tormented by war, to Christians persecuted for their faith, and to children deprived of education. To announce the passover of Christ in words and deeds means giving new voice to hope, otherwise stifled by the hands of the violent.”

Finally, he remembered Pope Francis, “who exactly one year ago, on Easter Monday, entrusted his life to the Lord. As we recall his great witness of faith and love, let us pray together to the Virgin Mary, Seat of Wisdom, so that we may become ever brighter heralds of the truth.”

After reciting the Marian prayer, Pope Leo XIV added a few more words: “I thank the initiatives promoted for the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, and I renew the appeal that sport, with its universal language of fraternity, may be a place of inclusion and peace. I thank all those who in these days have sent me Easter greetings. I am especially grateful for the prayers. Through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, may God reward each one with his gifts.”

He concluded: “I wish you a joyful and faithful celebration of this Easter Monday and these days of the Octave of Easter, during which the celebration of Christ’s resurrection continues. Let us persevere in invoking the gift of peace for the whole world.”

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Vatican has published Pope Leo XIV’s message for the 63rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will be celebrated on April 26, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, or Good Shepherd Sunday.

Titled “The Interior Discovery of God’s Gift,” the Holy Father in the message reflects on the interior dimension of vocation, understood as “the discovery of God’s free gift that blossoms in the depths of our hearts.”

In his message, the pope refers to vocation as “a path of beauty” — one along which, if traveled, life becomes “truly beautiful.” He notes, however, that to perceive this beauty, it is necessary to cultivate one’s interior life.

“The distinctive trait of the saint is the luminous spiritual beauty that radiates from his or her life in Christ,” the pope affirms.

Citing the experience of St. Augustine, the Holy Father invites everyone to discover the presence of God in the innermost recesses of the soul by cultivating prayer and silence. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the gift of vocation is “never an imposition or a one-size-fits-all model to which one merely conforms; instead, it is an adventure of love and happiness.”

“Only when our surroundings are illumined by living faith, sustained by constant prayer, and enriched by fraternal accompaniment can God’s call blossom and mature, becoming a path of happiness and salvation for individuals and for the world,” he noted.

The pope also reminds us that God “knows us profoundly” and points out that this knowledge must be mutual: “We are invited to know God through prayer, listening to the word, the sacraments, the life of the Church, and works of charity for our brothers and sisters.”

He clarifies that this is not a matter of abstract intellectual knowledge or academic learning but rather of “a personal encounter that transforms one’s life.”

“Dear young people, listen to this voice! Listen to the voice of the Lord who invites you to a full and fruitful life, calling you to put your talents to use (cf. Mt 25:14-30) and to unite your limitations and weaknesses with the glorious cross of Christ.”

The pope recommends dedicating time to Eucharistic adoration and meditating on the word of God in order to come to know the Lord and give oneself fully to one’s vocation — whether it be to marriage, the priesthood, or consecrated or religious life.

Life is a continual act of ‘trusting in the Lord’

To know the Lord, Leo XIV continues, means “above all learning to entrust oneself to him and to his providence.” He proposes St. Joseph as a model of this trust and encourages the faithful to cultivate it without ever yielding to despair: “We must overcome fears and doubts, confident that the Lord of history — both of the world and of our own personal story — is risen.”

“He does not abandon us in our darkest hours but comes to dispel every shadow with his light. Through the light and strength of his Spirit, even amid trials and crises, we can see our vocation grow and mature, reflecting ever more fully the beauty of the One who has called us — a beauty shaped by fidelity and trust, despite our wounds and failures,” he affirms.

At the conclusion of his message, the Holy Father recalls that a vocation “is not a fixed point” but rather “a dynamic process of maturation.” Therefore, he explains, the “places” where God’s will is revealed — and where we experience his infinite love — are “often the authentic and fraternal bonds we establish throughout our lives.”

Consequently, he underscores the need to have a good spiritual guide and, finally, encourages everyone — especially young people — to cultivate their personal relationship with God. “Pause, listen, entrust yourselves. In this way, the gift of your vocation will mature, bringing you happiness, and yielding abundant fruit for the Church and for the world.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV announced Sunday that he will lead a prayer vigil for peace on April 11 at St. Peter’s Basilica, using his first Easter Urbi et Orbi message to make a forceful appeal for an end to war and a renewed embrace of dialogue.

In a departure from the traditional Easter survey of major international flashpoints, Leo focused his message on the spiritual roots of peace, presenting Christ’s Resurrection as the answer to a world wounded by violence, hatred, and indifference.

“Easter is the victory of life over death, of light over darkness, of love over hatred,” the pope said. Yet it is also “a victory that came at a very high price”: Christ “had to die — and die on a cross — after suffering an unjust condemnation, being mocked and tortured, and shedding all his blood.”

Leo said the strength behind Christ’s triumph over death was not worldly power but divine love. “This strength, this power, is God himself for he is Love who creates and generates, Love who is faithful to the end and Love who forgives and redeems,” he said.

“Christ, our ‘victorious King,’ fought and won his battle through trusting abandonment to the Father’s will, to his plan of salvation,” the pope said.

He added that Jesus “walked the path of dialogue to the very end, not in words but in deeds: to find us who were lost, he became flesh; to free us who were slaves, he became a slave; to give life to us mortals, he allowed himself to be killed on the cross.”

Leo stressed that “the power with which Christ rose is entirely nonviolent,” comparing it to “a human heart which, wounded by an offense, rejects the instinct for revenge and, filled with compassion, prays for the one who has committed the offense.”

“That is the true strength that brings peace to humanity,” he said, because it “fosters respectful relationships at every level: among individuals, families, social groups, and nations.”

The pope described the Resurrection as the foundation of a renewed human family. “Yes, Christ’s resurrection is the beginning of a new humanity; it is the entrance into the true promised land, where justice, freedom, and peace reign, where all recognize one another as brothers and sisters, children of the same Father who is Love, Life, and Light.”

At the same time, Leo warned against becoming desensitized to violence.

“We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent,” he said. “Indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people. Indifferent to the repercussions of hatred and division that conflicts sow. Indifferent to the economic and social consequences they produce, which we all feel.”

Recalling what he called an expression dear to Pope Francis, Leo lamented an ever-increasing “globalization of indifference” and urged Christians not to accept evil as inevitable.

“We cannot continue to be indifferent! And we cannot resign ourselves to evil!” he said.

Quoting St. Augustine — “If you fear death, love the resurrection!” — Leo said Christians must cling to the hope of the risen Christ, who has conquered evil and offers true peace.

“The peace that Jesus gives us is not merely the silence of weapons, but the peace that touches and transforms the heart of each one of us!” the pope said. “Let us allow ourselves to be transformed by the peace of Christ! Let us make heard the cry for peace that springs from our hearts!”

He then made his appeal in direct terms: “Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!”

Leo concluded by inviting the faithful to join him on April 11 for the peace vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica.

“On this day of celebration, let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination, and power, and implore the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars and marked by a hatred and indifference that make us feel powerless in the face of evil,” he said.

The pope ended the message with Easter greetings in several languages before concluding in Latin.

This story was originally published by ACI Stampa, EWTN News' Italian-language partner agency. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV on Easter Sunday called for peace throughout the world, urging Christians to carry the hope of the Resurrection into a world wounded by war, violence, and injustice.

“May Christ, our Passover, bless us and give his peace to the whole world!” the pope said at the end of his homily during Easter morning Mass in St. Peterʼs Square on April 5.

Celebrating his first Easter as pontiff before a packed St. Peterʼs Square decorated with traditional Dutch flowers, Leo centered his homily on the Resurrection as Godʼs answer to sin, death, and despair.

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

The pope said the Easter proclamation “embraces the mystery of our lives and the destiny of history,” reaching humanity even “in the depths of death, where we feel threatened and sometimes overwhelmed.”

“It opens us up to a hope that never fails, to a light that never fades, to a fullness of joy that nothing can take away: death has been conquered forever; death no longer has power over us!” he said.

Leo acknowledged that this Christian message is not always easy to accept because “the power of death constantly threatens us, both from within and without.”

“From within, this power threatens us when the weight of our sins prevents us from ‘spreading our wings’ and taking flight, or when the disappointments or loneliness we experience drain our hope,” he said. “It likewise looms over us when our worries or our resentments suffocate the joy of living, when we are sad or tired, or when we feel betrayed or rejected.”

He added that death also appears in the world around us.

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

Against that backdrop, the pope said Easter calls Christians to rediscover hope in the risen Christ.

“In this reality, the Passover of the Lord invites us to lift our gaze and open our hearts,” he said. “It sets us in motion, like Mary Magdalene and the Apostles, so that we may discover that Jesus' tomb is empty, and therefore in every death we experience there is also room for new life to arise.”

“The Lord is alive and remains with us,” Leo continued. “Through the cracks of resurrection that open up in the darkness, he entrusts our hearts to the hope that sustains us: the power of death is not the final destiny of our lives.”

The pope also cited Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, recalling that the Resurrection is not simply a past event but a living power at work in the world even amid injustice and cruelty.

Looking to the Gospel of Johnʼs account of Easter morning, Leo said Christʼs Resurrection took place on “the first day of the week,” linking Easter to the first day of creation and the dawn of a new humanity.

“Brothers and sisters, Easter gives us this hope, as we remember that in the risen Christ a new creation is possible every day,” he said.

“Easter is the new creation brought about by the Risen Lord; it is a new beginning; it is life finally made eternal by Godʼs victory over the ancient enemy.”

He concluded by exhorting Christians to become witnesses of that hope in the world.

“We need this song of hope today,” the pope said. “It is ourselves, risen with Christ, who must bring him into the streets of the world.”

“Let us then run like Mary Magdalene, announcing him to everyone, living out the joy of the resurrection, so that wherever the specter of death still lingers, the light of life may shine.”

This story was originally published by ACI Stampa, EWTN News' Italian-language partner agency. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV at the Vaticanʼs Easter Vigil on April 4 described the ancient ceremony as “filled with light” and as the “mother of all vigils” where the faithful “relive the memorial of the victory of the Lord of life over death.”

“We do so after having traversed, over the past few days — as if in a single, grand celebration — the mysteries of the Passion of the God who, for our sake, became a man of sorrows: despised and rejected by men, tortured and crucified,” the pope reflected.

Pope Leo XIV presides over the Easter Vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, Saturday, April 4, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

At the vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope described the Risen Christ as "the very Creator of the universe who — just as he granted us existence out of nothing at the dawn of history — so too, upon the Cross, in order to demonstrate his boundless love for us, bestowed upon us the gift of life.”

Reflecting on the account of the Resurrection, Leo said: “On Easter morning, the women — overcoming their sorrow and fear — set out on their way. They wanted to go to Jesus’ tomb. They expected to find it sealed, with a large stone at the entrance and soldiers standing guard."

Pope Leo XIV presides over the Easter Vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, Saturday, April 4, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

He described that stone as representative of sin, “a massive barrier that shuts us in and separates us from God, seeking to stifle his words of hope within us.”

"Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, however, did not let themselves be intimidated," he said. "They went to the tomb and, thanks to their faith and their love, became the first witnesses of the Resurrection.”

The pope said Jesus' message to the women — “Peace be with you” — is “also our message to the world.”

Pope Leo XIV presides over the Easter Vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, Saturday, April 4, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

"Like the women who ran to bring the news to the brethren, we too wish to set out tonight from this Basilica, to carry to everyone the Good News that Jesus has risen, and that — through his power, having risen with him — we too can give birth to a new world of peace and unity.”

Addressing the catechumens receiving baptism during the vigil, the pope described them as “reborn in Christ to become new creatures.”

“Even in our own day, there is no shortage of tombs that need opening; indeed, the stones sealing them are often so heavy and so heavily guarded that they seem immovable,” he said.

“Some of these stones weigh upon the human heart — such as mistrust, fear, selfishness, and resentment. Others — the consequences of those inner burdens — sever the bonds between us, such as war, injustice, and the closing off of peoples and nations from one another.”

“Let us not allow ourselves to be paralyzed by them!” the pope said.

Pointing to the heroic work of the Christians of the past, the pope urged the faithful to “be moved by their example.”

“And on this Holy Night, let us make their commitment our own, so that everywhere and always — throughout the world — the Easter gifts of harmony and peace may grow and flourish,” he said.

This story was originally published by ACI Stampa, EWTN News' Italian-language partner agency. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV urged the faithful to “live our lives as a journey” and prayed for the Church to “follow in the footprints” of Christ as he walked the Via Crucis on April 3.

The pope personally carried the cross through every station of the Good Friday Way of the Cross at the Colosseum, the first time in four years the figure of the Supreme Pontiff has been present at the amphitheater.

A flickering cross towers at the Colosseum in Rome on Good Friday, April 3, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV carries the cross during the Via Crucis at the Colosseum in Rome, Friday, April 3, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV carries the cross during the Via Crucis at the Colosseum in Rome, Friday, April 3, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News A candle flickers at the Colosseum in Rome on Good Friday, April 3, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV carries the cross during the Via Crucis at the Colosseum in Rome, Friday, April 3, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV carries the cross during the Via Crucis at the Colosseum in Rome, Friday, April 3, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

Pope Leo XIV urged the faithful to “live our lives as a journey” and prayed for the Church to “follow in the footprints” of Christ as he walked the Via Crucis on April 3.

The pope personally carried the cross through every station of the Good Friday Way of the Cross at the Colosseum, the first time in four years the figure of the Supreme Pontiff has been present at the amphitheater.

Due to health concerns, Pope Francis last participated in person at the Colosseum in 2022, appearing via video after that.

Leo told media earlier in the week that the event “will be an important sign, given what the pope represents: a spiritual leader in today’s world — a voice to proclaim that Christ still suffers.”

"And I, too, carry all of this suffering in my prayers,” the pope said.

The Via Crucis meditations for 2026 were written by Father Francesco Patton, the former Custos of the Holy Land. The reflections noted that “every authority must answer before God for the manner in which it exercises the power it has received,” including “the power to initiate a war or to end it” and “the power to trample upon human dignity or to safeguard it.”

“Each one of us, too, is called to answer for the power we exercise in our daily lives,” the meditations said.

At the conclusion of the Way of the Cross, the pope quoted Saint Francis of Assisi in praying that God would “give us miserable ones the grace to do for you alone what we know you want us to do and always to desire what pleases you.”

“Inwardly cleansed, interiorly enlightened and inflamed by the fire of the Holy Spirit, may we be able to follow in the footprints of your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,” the pope prayed.

This story was originally published by ACI Stampa, EWTN News' Italian-language partner agency. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

VATICAN — Pope Leo XIV presided over the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion in St. Peter’s Basilica on Good Friday during which the preacher of the papal household exhorted Christians to “approach the Lord’s cross without fear.”

The liturgy began with the pope lying prostrate before the cross and then unfolded in three parts: the Liturgy of the Word, veneration of the cross, and Holy Communion.

There was no opening antiphon; the solemn liturgy began with silent prayer, the unifying thread through the entire celebration.

After the proclamation of the Gospel of John’s account of Christ’s passion, the papal preacher, Father Roberto Pasolini, OFMCap, delivered a homily.

Pope Leo XIV lies prostrate before the altar in St. Peter’s Basilica during the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion, Friday, April 3, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News ‘The greatest act of love’

“In a time like ours, still torn apart by hatred and violence, when even the name of God is invoked to justify wars and deadly decisions, we Christians are called to approach the Lord’s Cross without fear — indeed, with full trust — knowing that it is a throne upon which one sits and learns to reign with him by placing one’s life at the service of others,” Pasolini said.

“If we can hold fast to the profession of this faith, then our days too will be able to give voice to the songs of both joy and suffering, that mysterious score of the Cross in which the notes of the greatest love can be clearly recognized,” he continued.

The preacher recalled that the day’s liturgy invites Catholics to contemplate the Passion: “Yet the Cross of Christ risks remaining incomprehensible if we look at it only as an isolated fact, as a sudden event. In reality, it is the highest point of a journey, the fulfillment of an entire life in which Jesus learned to listen to and welcome the voice of the Father, allowing himself to be guided day by day all the way to the greatest act of love.”

“Jesus is the man of sorrows who knows suffering well — no violence, no resort to force, no temptation to destroy everything and start over from scratch. We know how difficult it is to embrace such a mission. We are tempted to use aggression and violence, thinking that without them nothing can ever be resolved. But only meekness is the true strength for confronting the darkness of evil,” he continued.

Father Roberto Pasolini preaches during the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion in St. Peter’s Basilica, Friday, April 3, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Example of the Servant Songs

In his homily, Pasolini referred to the Servant Songs, four poetic texts found in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (42, 49, 50, 52–53), which describe a mysterious figure — the “Servant”— who fulfills God’s will through vicarious suffering.

“To understand this journey during the days of Holy Week, the liturgy has had us listen to the so‑called Songs of the Servant of the Lord. These are poetic texts in which the prophet Isaiah sketched the figure of a mysterious servant through whom God would be able to save the world from evil and sin. Christian tradition has recognized in these songs a striking and dramatic foreshadowing,” Pasolini explained.

“In the third song, a new surprise emerges: The servant wants to help, but people respond with anger and violence,” Pasolini said. “Those who live in darkness do not always welcome the light, because the light also exposes what we would prefer to keep hidden — our wounds, our ambiguities.”

“In the fourth song, something deeply unsettling occurs: The violence inflicted on the servant is so intense that it disfigures his face. He has no appearance or beauty, yet the servant has learned not to return the evil he has received,” the preacher said.

The servant "does not resign himself to this logic [of violence]; he absorbs everything without retaliating. For this reason, he bore the sin of many,” the priest explained.

For the papal preacher, the Lord Jesus “did not merely listen to these songs; he lived them intensely, with complete trust in the Father.”

“We see it constantly in wars, in divisions, in wounds: evil keeps circulating because it always finds someone willing to pass it on. Jesus broke this chain by accepting what happened to him. In the Passion, he recognized the score of the songs of love and service that the Father had entrusted to him. In this way, he learned the most difficult obedience — the obedience of loving the other,” Pasolini continued.

“The voice of God no longer guides us — not because it has disappeared, but because it has become just one voice among many, the others promising security and well‑being,” he said.

“What is missing is a word, a song capable of guiding our steps toward a more just world,” he added. “And yet, if we look closely, we can glimpse a silent crowd of people who choose a different voice — a voice that does not shout, that does not impose itself by force, a quiet and persistent song that invites us to love and never return evil for evil. They do not perform extraordinary deeds, but each day they try to make their lives serve not only themselves, but others as well.”

Pope Leo XIV prays in St. Peter’s Basilica during the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion, Friday, April 3, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News ‘Lay down the weapons’

Referencing the act of venerating the cross, Pasolini encouraged those present to use the opportunity to “lay down the weapons” they are holding.

“They may not seem as dangerous as those wielded by the powerful of this world. Yet they, too, are instruments of death, because they are enough to weaken, wound, and drain meaning and love from our daily relationships,” he said.

“Salvation will not drop down from above, nor can it be guaranteed by political, economic, or military decisions. The world is constantly being saved by those who are willing to embrace the Songs of the Servant of the Lord as the shape of their own lives,” the preacher encouraged.

“This is what the Lord Jesus did. He took the Father’s will seriously, accepting it as a score to be carried out to the end, with loud cries and tears.”

“Tonight we too are handed the score of the cross. We can freely accept it if we acknowledge that there is no difficulty that cannot be faced, no guilty party we must point to, no enemy who can prevent us from loving and serving."

"There is only ourselves — who, by choosing not to return evil, by remaining patient in trials, by believing in good even when darkness seems to swallow everything, can become day by day those servants the Lord needs to bring salvation into the world,” he said.

This story was originally published by ACI Stampa, EWTN News' Italian-language partner agency. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Good Friday.

The Vatican said the pope spoke separately with both presidents on April 3. They exchanged Easter and Passover greetings. Leo also spoke with the presidents about the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and highlighted the need for continued humanitarian aid.

The Middle East and Ukraine continue to be plagued by armed conflicts. The U.S. and Israeli conflict with Iran has entered a new phase with U.S. President Donald Trump this week vowing stronger military action against Iran. The Russia-Ukraine War continues to claim casualties and has entered its fourth year.

A statement from the office of the Israeli president said Herzog discussed the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran with the pope, including “the ongoing threat of missile attacks by the Iranian regime and its terror proxies against people of all faiths in the region.”

The statement also said that Herzog recalled to Leo recent Iranian missile attacks on Jerusalem, and his insistence that Hezbollah continues to be a threat to stability in the Middle East.

The telephone discussions followed Leo’s public plea on March 31 in which he again called for an unconditional ceasefire and expressed hopes that Trump would be “looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence, of bombing.” In that same plea, he also called for an Easter truce for both conflicts.

The discussion between the pope and the Israeli president also followed an incident in Jerusalem on March 29, where the Latin patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, was denied access to the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday by Israeli police.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land later reached an agreement with Israeli authorities, permitting access for Church representatives to celebrate Masses and religious rites while restrictions on public gatherings remain in force.

Neither the office of the Israeli president nor the Vatican commented on whether the pope and Herzog discussed the incident in Jerusalem.

The Good Friday Reproaches are a series of antiphons, known also as the “Improperia” or “Popule Meus” (“My People”), coming from the opening lines of the Latin text of the recitation.

Dating back to the ninth century, though not gaining a permanent place in the Roman orders until the 14th century, the Good Friday Reproaches have long been an essential part of the Roman liturgy. But they largely disappeared from many parishes following the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

The antiphons have, however, retained their prominence at the Vatican — and are normally chanted by the Sistine Chapel Choir during the Good Friday service in St. Peter’s Basilica.

In the moment leading up to the dramatic recitation, the priest chants three times, in an increasing pitch, “Ecce lignum crucis,” or “Behold the wood of the cross,” each time gradually unveiling the cross that hitherto has been covered in a purple veil.

Once the crucifix is placed in a central location at the edge of the sanctuary, cast against a bare altar, the faithful are invited to kneel before — and kiss — it, a powerful remembrance of Christ’s passion but also a recognition of the cross as an instrument of salvation.

During the adoration of the cross, the Good Friday Reproaches are chanted in an alternating manner between a cantor and choir. It opens: “Popule meus, quid feci tibi? Aut in quo contristavi te? Responde mihi” (“My people, what have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me”).

This hauntingly sorrowful and beautiful text is followed by the first reproach: “Quia eduxi te de terra Aegypti: parasti crucem Salvatori tuo” (“Because I led thee out of the land of Egypt: thou hast prepared a cross for thy Savior”), showcasing the world’s fatal rejection of Christ despite his love and saving acts.

The following is the full text of the reproaches:

Popule meus, quid feci tibi?
Aut in quo contristavi te?
Responde mihi.
(O my people, what have I done to thee?
Or how have I offended you?
Answer me.)

Quia eduxi te de terra Aegypti:
parasti crucem Salvatori tuo.
(Because I led thee out of the land of Egypt:
thou hast prepared a cross for thy Savior.)

Hagios o Theos.
Sanctus Deus.
Hagios Ischyros.
Sanctus fortis.
Hagios Athanatos, eleison himas.
Sanctus immortalis, miserere nobis.
(O holy God!
O holy God!
O holy strong One!
O holy strong One!
O holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.
O holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.)

Quia eduxi te per desertum quadraginta annis:
et manna cibavi te, et introduxi te in terram satis bonam:
parasti crucem Salvatori tuo.
Hagios ...
(Because I led thee through the desert for 40 years:
and fed thee with manna, and brought thee into a land exceeding good:
Thou hast prepared a cross for thy Savior.
O holy God! ...)

Quid ultra debui facere tibi, et non feci?
Ego quidem plantavi te vineam meam speciosissimam:
et tu facta es mihi nimis amara:
aceto namque sitim meam potasti:
et lancea perforasti latus Salvatori tuo.
Hagios ...
(What more ought I to have done for thee, that I have not done?
I planted thee, indeed, my most beautiful vineyard:
and thou hast become exceeding bitter to me:
for in my thirst thou gavest me vinegar to drink:
and with a spear thou hast pierced the side of thy Savior.
O holy God! ...)

Ego propter te flagellavi Aegyptum cum primogenitis suis:
et tu me flagellatum tradidisti.
Popule meus ...
(For thy sake I scourged the firstborn of Egypt:
Thou hast given me up to be scourged.
O my people ...)

Ego te eduxi de Aegypto, demerso Pharone in mare Rubrum:
et tu me tradidisti principibus sacerdotum.
Popule meus ...
(I led thee out of Egypt, having drowned Pharaoh in the Red Sea:
and thou hast delivered me to the chief priests.
O my people ...)

Ego ante te aperui mare:
et tu aperuisti lancea latus meum.
Popule meus ...
(I opened the sea before thee:
and thou hast opened my side with a spear.
O my people ...)

Ego ante te praeivi in columna nubis:
et tu me duxisti ad praetorium Pilati.
Popule meus ...
(I went before thee in a pillar of cloud:
and thou hast led me to the judgment hall of Pilate.
O my people ...)

Ego te pavi manna in desertum:
et tu me cedisti alapis et flagellis.
Popule meus . . .
(I fed thee with manna in the desert:
and thou hast assaulted me with blows and scourges.
O my people ...)

Ego te potavi aqua salutis de petra:
et tu me potasti felle et aceto.
Popule meus ...
(I gave thee the water of salvation from the rock:
and thou hast given me gall and vinegar to drink.
O my people ...)

Ego propter te Chananeorum reges percussi:
et tu percussisti arundine caput meum.
Popule meus . . .
(For thy sake I struck the kings of the Canaanites:
and thou hast struck my head with a reed.
O my people ...)

Ego dedi tibi sceptrum regale:
et tu dedisti capiti meo spineam coronam.
Popule meus ...
(I gave thee a royal scepter:
and thou hast given a crown of thorns for my head.
O my people ...)

Ego te exaltavi magna virtute:
et tu me suspendisti in patibulo crucis.
Popule meus ...
(I exalted thee with great strength:
and thou hast hanged me on the gibbet of the cross.
O my people ...)

This story was first published on Good Friday 2024 and has been updated.

Pope Leo XIV on Holy Thursday returned the Mass of the Lord’s Supper to the Basilica of St. John Lateran, reviving a papal practice last observed there in 2012 under Benedict XVI.

Departing from Pope Francis’ custom of celebrating the liturgy in prisons or migrant centers, Leo celebrated the rite in the cathedral of Rome and washed the feet of 12 priests of the Diocese of Rome.

Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful at the Basilica of St. John Lateran during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Thursday, April 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV celebrates the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Thursday, April 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV washes the feet of priests at the Basilica of St. John Lateran during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Thursday, April 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Acolytes process through the Basilica of St. John Lateran during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Thursday, April 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News The Gospel is held aloft at the Basilica of St. John Lateran during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Thursday, April 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV incenses the altar of the Basilica of St. John Lateran during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Thursday, April 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV holds a crucifix aloft at the Basilica of St. John Lateran during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Thursday, April 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

Pope Leo XIV on Holy Thursday returned the Mass of the Lord’s Supper to the Basilica of St. John Lateran, reviving a papal practice last observed there in 2012 under Benedict XVI.

Departing from Pope Francis’ custom of celebrating the liturgy in prisons or migrant centers, Leo celebrated the rite in the cathedral of Rome and washed the feet of 12 priests of the Diocese of Rome.

In his homily, the pope framed the liturgy as the solemn entrance into the Easter Triduum and said Christ’s love, shown in both the Eucharist and the washing of the feet, reveals the justice of God in a world wounded by evil.

“This evening’s solemn liturgy marks our entry into the holy Triduum of the Lord’s passion, death, and resurrection,” Leo said. “We cross this threshold not as mere spectators, nor out of habit, but as those personally invited by Jesus himself as guests at the Supper in which bread and wine become for us the sacrament of salvation.”

“His love becomes both gesture and nourishment for all, revealing the justice of God,” the pope said. “In this world, and particularly in those places where evil abounds, Jesus loves definitively — forever, and with his whole being.”

Reflecting on the washing of the feet, Leo said the gesture is not simply a moral lesson but a revelation of God’s own way of loving.

“What the Lord shows us — taking the water, the basin, and the towel — is far more than a moral example,” he said. “He entrusts to us his very way of life. The washing of the feet is a gesture that encapsulates the revelation of God.”

The pope also cited Benedict XVI, recalling that Christians must repeatedly learn that God’s greatness is unlike worldly greatness. “We too must ‘learn repeatedly that God’s greatness is different from our idea of greatness… because we systematically desire a God of success and not of the Passion,’” Leo said.

He warned that human beings are tempted to seek a God who grants success, victory, or usefulness like wealth and power rather than recognizing the divine power revealed in humble service.

“Yet we fail to perceive that God does indeed serve us through the gratuitous and humble gesture of washing feet,” Leo said. “This is the true omnipotence of God.”

The pope said Jesus’ action purifies both humanity’s false image of God and its false image of man.

“For we tend to consider ourselves powerful when we dominate, victorious when we destroy our equals, great when we are feared,” he said. “In contrast, as true God and true man, Christ offers us the example of self-giving, service, and love.”

Leo stressed that Christ gave this example not in a moment of acclaim but “on the night he was betrayed, in the darkness of incomprehension and violence.”

“In this way, it becomes clear that the Lord’s love precedes our own goodness or purity; he loves us first, and in that love, he forgives and restores us,” the pope said.

Quoting St. John’s Gospel, Leo urged Christians to live out mutual service in imitation of Christ: “He does not ask us to repay him but to share his gift among ourselves: ‘You also ought to wash one another’s feet.’”

The pope also referred to Pope Francis’ 2013 Holy Thursday homily, noting that Christian service cannot be reduced to abstraction or empty obligation but must spring from charity.

Allowing oneself to be served by the Lord, Leo said, is a precondition for serving others. “By washing our bodies, Jesus purifies our souls,” he said. “In him, God has given us an example — not of how to dominate, but of how to liberate; not of how to destroy life, but of how to give it.”

In one of the homily’s strongest appeals, the pope turned to the suffering of those crushed by violence and oppression.

“As humanity is brought to its knees by so many acts of brutality, let us too kneel down as brothers and sisters alongside the oppressed,” he said.

Leo said the liturgy of Holy Thursday draws together the institution of the Eucharist and holy orders, revealing “the perfect self-gift of Jesus, the High Priest and living, eternal Eucharist.”

Addressing priests directly, he said: “Beloved brothers in the priesthood, we are called to serve the people of God with our whole lives.”

He concluded by inviting Catholics to spend time in Eucharistic adoration and to ask for the grace to imitate Christ’s love.

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

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV celebrated a chrism Mass at the Vatican on April 2, his first as pope after being elected as supreme pontiff in May 2025.

The Mass included the traditional blessing of the holy oils that will be used throughout the year in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, anointing of the sick, and holy orders.

Pope Leo XIV presides over a chrism Mass at the Vatican on Holy Thursday, April 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV presides over a chrism Mass at the Vatican on Holy Thursday, April 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV breathes over oil during a chrism Mass at the Vatican on Holy Thursday, April 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV greets clergy at a chrism Mass at the Vatican on Holy Thursday, April 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV greets clergy at a chrism Mass at the Vatican on Holy Thursday, April 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Clergy raise their hands in prayer during a chrism Mass at the Vatican on Holy Thursday, April 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV presides over a chrism Mass at the Vatican on Holy Thursday, April 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Chrismaria stand in a line at a chrism Mass at the Vatican on Holy Thursday, April 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

Pope Leo XIV on Holy Thursday proposed Christian mission as an antidote to what he called the “imperialist occupation of the world,” saying it is now a priority to remember that “neither in the pastoral sphere nor in the social and political spheres can good come from abuse of power.”

At the Chrism Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on April 2, the pope reflected on the mission God entrusts to his people and warned that it must never be distorted by “a desire for domination, entirely foreign to the way of Jesus Christ.”

“The cross is part of the mission: the sending becomes more bitter and frightening, but also more freeing and transformative,” Leo said. “The imperialist occupation of the world is thus disrupted from within; the violence that until now has been the law is unmasked.”

The pope did not point to any specific geopolitical situation when he used the phrase.

The Chrism Mass, one of the principal liturgies of Holy Thursday, includes the blessing of the holy oils that will be used throughout the year in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, anointing of the sick, and holy orders. During the Mass, priests also renew the promises they made at ordination.

Presiding over the rite for the first time as bishop of Rome, Leo addressed nearly 1,000 priests in St. Peter’s Basilica and emphasized that the Christian mission is never lived in isolation or in rupture with the Church.

“Each of us takes part in it according to our own vocation in a deeply personal obedience to the voice of the Spirit, yet never without others, never neglecting or breaking communion!” he said.

The pope said the Easter Triduum, which begins later on Holy Thursday, calls Christians not to flee trial but to pass through it with Christ.

“What we are about to relive, in fact, possesses the power to transform what human pride generally tends to harden: our identity and our place in the world,” he said. “Jesus’ freedom changes hearts, heals wounds, refreshes and brightens our faces, reconciles and gathers us together, and forgives and raises us up.”

Leo also stressed that the Church is apostolic because it is sent out, not static, and said bishops and priests are called to remain at the service of a missionary people.

He warned that mission has too often been warped by worldly logic and said authentic Christian love cannot be tied to force or display.

“Love is true only when it is unguarded; it requires little fuss, no ostentation, and gently cherishes weakness and vulnerability,” he said.

The pope also cautioned against approaching the poor with worldly signs of influence.

“There is no ‘good news to the poor’ … if we go to them bearing the signs of power, nor is there authentic liberation unless we free ourselves from attachment,” he said.

Instead, Leo pointed to the witness of the great missionaries, who, he said, embody “quiet, unobtrusive approaches, whose method is the sharing of life, selfless service, the renunciation of any calculated strategy, dialogue and respect.”

He added that Christian mission requires simplicity and reverence before the mystery present in every people and culture.

“As Christians, we are guests,” he said. “To be hosts, in fact, we must learn to be guests ourselves.”

Even in places marked by secularization, he said, the Church must not think in terms of conquest or reconquest, but of listening, accompaniment, and witness. That is possible only when the Church walks together, he said, and when mission is not “a heroic adventure reserved for a few, but the living witness of a Body with many members.”

Leo also reflected on the possibility of rejection in Christian mission, recalling Jesus’ expulsion from Nazareth. Yet even that trial, he said, can become the place where the Gospel reveals its deepest power.

“How many ‘resurrections’ are we called to experience when, free from a defensive attitude, we immerse ourselves in service like a seed in the earth!” he said.

During the homily, the pope cited St. Óscar Romero, the archbishop of San Salvador murdered in 1980, as a witness of persevering hope amid danger and suffering.

At the close of his reflection, Leo urged Catholics to renew their commitment to a mission marked by unity and peace.

“In this dark hour of history, it has pleased God to send us to spread the fragrance of Christ where the stench of death reigns,” he said. “Let us renew our ‘yes’ to this mission that calls for unity and brings peace. Yes, we are here! Let us overcome the sense of powerlessness and fear!”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News’ Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

NASA’s Artemis II test flight launched into space on Wednesday evening for an expected 10-day lunar flyby mission.

The flight — which is the first crewed mission to orbit the moon since the Apollo 11 landing in 1969 — is a test for future missions hoping to return humans to the lunar surface in 2028.

Jesuit Father Richard A. D’Souza, director of the Vatican Observatory since September 2025, told EWTN News the Artemis II program is “a great development” that will hopefully lead to answers about the origin of the moon.

The astronomer said the Catholic Church has always supported space exploration but, noting the increased commercialization of spaceflight, warned that it should be for “the benefit of all.”

D’Souza shared with EWTN News the significance of this launch and how the Church continues to view space exploration:

EWTN News: From the Vatican Observatory’s perspective, what is the significance of Artemis II returning humans to the moon’s vicinity after more than 50 years?

D’Souza: The Artemis program is a great development from the perspective of human spaceflight. Since the Apollo missions, our understanding of the moon and our scientific techniques to answer many of the unanswered questions have improved. A possible landing on the moon will allow us to answer several unanswered questions about the origin of the moon.

Furthermore, there is a growing awareness that the moon could host several scientific experiments which could not be possible from the earth due to the abundance of electromagnetic pollution. The far side of the moon remains shielded from various forms of electromagnetic pollutions from the Earth and is ideal to listen to faint signals from the cosmos.

How does the Catholic Church view human spaceflight today — has that perspective evolved since the Apollo era?

The Apollo program — lead by NASA — focused on human endeavor and making the impossible possible. Today, there are many more actors in space with the inclusion of many private companies focused solely on commercial benefit. The Catholic Church, while encouraging all forms of human progress, is particularly concerned that the benefits of such technologies should lead to the benefit of all and not to further inequality and injustice.

Furthermore, the Vatican is especially concerned about the pollution of pristine environments in space (e.g. the moon or other planets) and the great risk of increasing space debris.

Artemis II is a test mission rather than a landing — what does the emphasis on preparation and patience say about how we should approach exploration?

Artemis II is part of a long-term program to return humankind to the moon. While 50 years have passed since we were last on the surface of the moon, we now have a much better understanding of the risks involved. At the same time, much of the technology that will be used in the Artemis program has never been tested for this kind of enterprise. In any form of space mission which involves human persons, the highest forms of accountability and security are needed. Hence, the great caution on the part of NASA in doing all the preparation necessary before landing again on the moon.

Some critics argue that space exploration distracts us from addressing suffering and injustice on Earth. How does the Church respond to that concern?

The Catholic Church has long supported space exploration right from the initial days of the Apollo missions. It understands the symbolic value of space exploration and its effect on other dimensions of human life. Yet at the same time, it is very concerned that exploration of space should not lead to an increase in injustice here on Earth. For this reason, it has been particularly vociferous about international treaties and regulations of space use and travel that need to be put in place — to ensure peace, justice, and that its benefits reach all.

Looking ahead, what questions do you hope future space missions will help humanity explore?

Human space travel to Mars will require us to understand the long-term effect of space travel on the human person. The longest a person has been in space has been 437 days. Before we can undertake longer space missions, we need to understand how to deal with medical emergencies in space. The recent return of the astronauts from the space station due to a health emergency shows how difficult this can be.

Peruvian priest Father Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga, personal secretary to Pope Leo XIV, said the Holy Father “hasn’t changed” since his years as a bishop in Peru and is still approachable, serene, and possesses a great capacity for listening.

In an interview with the Spanish media outlet Alfa and Omega, the priest, who first met the pontiff when their paths crossed in Chiclayo, Peru, emphasized that despite his new responsibilities, the pope “remains the same.”

“The only things that have changed are his attire, which is now white, and his responsibilities; otherwise, the man we have all come to know remains exactly the same: approachable, calm, an excellent listener, and always available,” he said.

A discreet service alongside the pope

Rimaycuna explained that his role as personal secretary consists of accompanying the Holy Father in his daily life and ensuring he has the necessary time and space for rest.

“It means working alongside a friend, in my particular case, and also serving as the one who assists him in his daily work and protects him, so he is able to carry out his duties in a peaceful atmosphere,” he noted.

The priest also said his role is defined by discretion, in which the spotlight always remains on the pope.

“No one teaches you how to be the pope’s secretary, because it’s an assignment that comes upon you quite suddenly,” he remarked, explaining that he has found inspiration in St. Joseph and St. John the Baptist.

He highlighted St. Joseph’s silence and his capacity to remain in the background and St. John the Baptist’s attitude of humility, expressed in the phrase: “It is fitting that I decrease and that he increase.”

“I believe that these are the two images that summarize the mission, the task, of a secretary: to take second place, and for the other person to be the center of attention,” he noted.

Latin American warmth in the pontificate

Rimaycuna also said the pope’s experience in Latin America has shaped his style of governance, particularly in his closeness to people.

“In Latin America, we are accustomed to physical closeness, close contact,” he explained, noting that this characteristic is reflected by the pontiff in particular ways, such as “offering a greeting, smiling, offering a word of encouragement, or making a small gesture.”

Some observers perceive Leo’s pontificate as reserved, and Rimaycuna confirmed that this reservedness is part of the pope’s personality: “He is reserved because that is simply his nature — always prudent, calm, and patient — but his years in Peru have also helped him maintain that closeness with the people.”

In this regard, he added that the pope manages to integrate “prudence and practicality” with the “cordial, approachable, and affectionate” gestures characteristic of Latin America.

On the apostolic journey to Spain

Regarding the upcoming apostolic journey to Spain, the pope’s personal secretary noted that its primary significance will lie in the closeness of the shepherd to his flock.

He also highlighted that the Holy Father seeks to acknowledge Spain’s historical contribution to the Church.

“Throughout history, Spain has been characterized as a land that has produced many saints,” he stated, emphasizing that the trip would also serve as a gesture of “gratitude for all that Spain has given to the world and to the Church in terms of faith and Christian life.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Leo XIV records his “Pray with the Pope” video each month, but how does he choose the intentions he wants the Church to pray for?

“They’re absolutely the pope’s intentions; however, he does it in a very synodal way,” after gathering input from many sources, Father Cristóbal Fones, SJ, international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (PWPN), told EWTN News.

The prayer network, established as a Vatican entity by Pope Francis in 2018, recently undertook a lengthy consultation process with its national directors in 94 countries and members of the Roman Curia.

“Last year, we received about 300 proposals in different languages,” Fones said. “We categorized them, we summarized them, and then the [prayer network’s] international office proposed 16 of them to the pope to facilitate his work.”

“In December, I passed him these 16 proposals … he put another one that wasn’t part of the [original] proposals and changed the order,” he continued.

“He’s quite involved in this process. For him it is critical,” he said.

Every month, Pope Leo records three versions — English, Italian, and Spanish — of his monthly prayer intention.

“It’s a lot of work,” the PWPN director told EWTN News. “He’s committed to this because he knows it is important and because he wants to pray with people.”

According to Fones, Pope Leo is continuing the tradition of Pope Francis, who recorded the first video of the monthly intentions in 2016, but the current pope has put his own stamp on the practice.

“[Pope Leo] wanted to invite people not only to pray for the intention but to pray with him,” he said. “So he wanted a video where he was praying and people could join him.”

“He’s teaching us how to pray at the same time,” Fones said, “by saying ‘hello’ to the Lord, pausing a little bit, and meaning every single word.”

Fones said Pope Leo asked the global network to help people cultivate a “friendship” with God through the various multimedia resources they offer.

“He said to me, ‘Please teach people how to pray,’” Fones said. “He’s very conscious that we may be Catholics but not have this kind of relationship with Jesus.”

“Prayer is not something that we do or something that we say, but it’s a relationship that we build up — not with something — but with someone,” he added.

In addition to the “Pray with the Pope” campaign, the Vatican foundation also offers a nine-step spirituality program called “Way of the Heart.”

At Leo’s request, PWPN launched the “Pray with the Pope” campaign in January with the desire to teach people “intercessory prayer” that is focused on “Christ and the challenges of humanity.”

“The closer we are to the heart of Jesus, the closer we are to the pains and sufferings of the world who are at the core of his heart,” Fones said.

“The important thing is to be compassionate with so many challenges we are facing around the world, very critical, that obviously are in the heart of the pope, as [they are] in the heart of so many people who are suffering those problems, and … certainly in the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said.