Pope Francis Homilies

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Pope Leo Regina Caeli 06.04.26

Easter Monday

Dear brothers and sisters, Christ is risen! Happy Easter!

This greeting, filled with wonder and joy, will accompany us throughout this week. As we celebrate the new day the Lord has made for us, the liturgy proclaims the entry of all creation into the time of salvation: in the name of Jesus, the despair of death is swept away forever.

Today’s Gospel (Mt 28:8–15) calls us to choose between two accounts: that of the women who encountered the risen Lord (vv. 9–11), and that of the guards who were bribed by the leaders of the Sanhedrin (vv. 11–14). The former proclaim Christ’s victory over death; the latter assert that death prevails always and in every circumstance. According to their version, Jesus has not risen; instead, his body was stolen. From the same fact — the empty tomb — two interpretations arise: one a source of new and eternal life, the other of certain and definitive death.

This contrast invites us to reflect on the value of Christian witness and the integrity of human communication. Often, the proclamation of truth is obscured by what we today call “fake news” — lies, insinuations, and unfounded accusations. Yet, in the face of such obstacles, the truth does not remain hidden; rather, it comes forth to meet us, living and radiant, illuminating even the deepest darkness. Just as he spoke to the women at the tomb, Jesus says to us today: “Do not be afraid; go and tell” (v. 10). In this way, he himself becomes the Good News to be witnessed in the world. The Passover of the Lord is our Passover — the Passover of all humanity — for this man who died for us is the Son of God, who gave his life for us. Just as the risen One, ever living and present, frees the past from a destructive end, so the Easter proclamation redeems our future from the tomb.

Dear friends, how important it is that this Gospel reach, above all, those oppressed by the evil that corrupts history and confuses consciences! I think of peoples afflicted by war, of Christians persecuted for their faith, of children deprived of an education. To proclaim the Paschal mystery of Christ in both word and deed means to give a new voice to hope — a hope otherwise stifled by the hands of the violent. Wherever it is proclaimed, the Good News sheds light upon every shadow, in every age.

With particular affection, in the light of the risen Lord, we remember today Pope Francis, who, on Easter Monday of last year, returned to the Lord. As we recall his profound witness of faith and love, let us pray together to the Virgin Mary, Seat of Wisdom, that we may become ever more radiant heralds of the truth.

Dear brothers and sisters,

I extend a warm welcome to all of you, dear pilgrims from Italy and various other countries. I greet, in particular, the young people from the Deanery of Appiano Gentile. My thoughts go out to all those in different parts of the world who are taking part in the initiatives organised for the “International Day of Sport for Development and Peace”, renewing my appeal that sport, with its universal language of fraternity, may be a place of inclusion and peace.

I thank all those who have sent me messages of good wishes for Easter during these days. I am especially grateful for your prayers. Through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, may God reward each of you with his gifts!

I hope you spend this Easter Monday and these days of the Easter Octave – during which we continue to celebrate Christ’s Resurrection – in joy and faith. Let us continue to pray for the gift of peace for the whole world.

Happy Easter Monday!

06.04.26

Pope Leo Regina Caeli 06.04.26

Pope Leo Easter Message and “Urbi et Orbi” Blessing 05.04.26

Excerpt below for the full transcript click on the picture link above

Brothers and sisters,

Christ is risen! Happy Easter!

For centuries, the Church has joyfully sung of the event that is the origin and foundation of her faith: “Yes, Christ my hope is arisen / Christ indeed from death is risen / Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning” (Easter Sequence).

Easter is the victory of life over death, of light over darkness, of love over hatred. It is a victory that came at a very high price: Christ, the Son of the living God (cf. Mt 16:16), had to die — and die on a cross — after suffering an unjust condemnation, being mocked and tortured, and shedding all his blood. As the true immolated Lamb, he took upon himself the sin of the world (cf. Jn 1:29; 1 Pet 1:18–19) and thus freed us all — and with us, all creation — from the dominion of evil.

But how was Jesus able to be victorious? What is the strength with which he defeated once and for all the ancient adversary, the prince of this world (cf. Jn 12:31)? What is the power with which he rose from the dead, not returning to his former life, but entering into eternal life and thus opening in his own flesh the passage from this world to the Father?

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.

Christ, our “victorious King,” fought and won his battle through trusting abandonment to the Father’s will, to his plan of salvation (cf. Mt 26:42). Thus he 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.

The power with which Christ rose is entirely non-violent. It is like that of a grain of wheat which, having rotted in the earth, grows, breaks through the clods, sprouts, and becomes a golden ear of wheat. It is even more like that of a human heart which, wounded by an offence, rejects the instinct for revenge and, filled with compassion, prays for the one who has committed the offence.

Brothers and sisters, this is the true strength that brings peace to humanity, because it fosters respectful relationships at every level: among individuals, families, social groups, and nations. It does not seek private interests, but the common good; it does not seek to impose its own plan, but to help design and carry out a plan together with others.

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 recognise one another as brothers and sisters, children of the same Father who is Love, Life, and Light.

Brothers and sisters, through his resurrection, the Lord confronts us even more powerfully with the dramatic reality of our freedom. Before the empty tomb, we can be filled with hope and wonder, like the disciples, or with fear like the guards and the Pharisees, forced to resort to lies and subterfuge rather than acknowledge that the one who had been condemned is truly risen (cf. Mt 28:11–15)!

In the light of Easter, let us allow ourselves to be amazed by Christ! Let us allow our hearts to be transformed by his immense love for us! 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!

We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent. 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. There is an ever-increasing “globalisation of indifference,” to borrow an expression dear to Pope Francis, who one year ago from this loggia addressed his final words to the world, reminding us: “What a great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of the world!” (Urbi et Orbi Message, 20 April 2025).

The cross of Christ always reminds us of the suffering and pain that surround death and the agony it entails. We are all afraid of death, and out of fear we turn away, preferring not to look. We cannot continue to be indifferent! And we cannot resign ourselves to evil! Saint Augustine teaches: “If you fear death, love the resurrection!” (Sermon 124, 4). Let us too love the resurrection, which reminds us that evil is not the last word, because it has been defeated by the Risen One.

He passed through death to give us life and peace: “I leave you peace; I give you my peace. Not as the world gives it, I give it to you” (Jn 14:27). 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! 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!

05.04.26 uo

FAMINE

Pope Francis

Hunger

Hunger is an injustice that destroys men and women because they have nothing to eat, even if there is a lot food available in the world. Human exploitation; different forms of slavery; recently I saw a film shot inside a prison where migrants are locked up and tortured to turn them into slaves. This is still happening 70 years after the Declaration of Human Rights. Cultural colonization. This is exactly what the Devil wants, to destroy human dignity – and that is why the Devil is behind all forms of persecution.

01.06.18

Pope Leo Easter Message and

“Urbi et Orbi” Blessing 05.04.26

Pope Leo Holy Mass Easter Sunday 05.04.26

Dear brothers and sisters,

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!

This Easter proclamation embraces the mystery of our lives and the destiny of history, reaching us 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!

This is a message that is not always easy to accept, a promise that we struggle to embrace, 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. 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. When we have to come to terms with our weakness, with the sufferings and the daily grind of life, we can feel as if we have ended up in a tunnel with no end in sight.

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. 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 earth’s resources, because of the violence of war that kills and destroys.

In this reality, the Passover of the Lord invites us to lift our gaze and open our hearts. It continues to nourish the seed of the promised victory within our spirit and throughout the course of history. 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. 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. We are all directed, once and for all, on the path to fulfilment, because in Christ we also have risen.

With heartfelt words, Pope Francis reminded us of this in his first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, affirming that the resurrection of Christ “is not an event of the past; it contains a vital power which has permeated this world. Where all seems to be dead, signs of the resurrection suddenly spring up. It is an irresistible force. Often it seems that God does not exist: all around us we see persistent injustice, evil, indifference and cruelty. But it is also true that in the midst of darkness something new always springs to life and sooner or later produces fruit” (n. 276).

Brothers and sisters, Easter gives us this hope, as we remember that in the risen Christ a new creation is possible every day. This is what today’s Gospel tells us, as it clearly describes the event of the resurrection as taking place on “the first day of the week” (Jn 20:1). The day of Christ’s resurrection thus takes us back to that first day when God created the world, and at the same time proclaims that a new life, stronger than death, is now dawning for humanity.

Easter is the new creation brought about by the Risen Lord; it is a new beginning; it is life finally made eternal by God’s victory over the ancient enemy.

We need this song of hope today. It is ourselves, risen with Christ, who must bring him into the streets of the world. Let us then run like Mary Madgalene, announcing him to everyone, living out the joy of the resurrection, so that wherever the spectre of death still lingers, the light of life may shine.

May Christ, our Passover, bless us and give his peace to the whole world!

05.04.26 m

Pope Leo Easter Vigil Mass 04.04.26

Excerpt below for the full transcript click on the picture link above

“The sanctifying power of this night dispels wickedness, washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen… drives out hatred, fosters concord and brings down the mighty” (Exsultet).

With these words at the beginning of this celebration, dear brothers and sisters, the deacon praised the light of the Risen Christ, symbolised by the Paschal Candle. From this single candle, we have all lit our own candles, and, each carrying a small flame drawn from the same fire, we have illuminated this great basilica. It is the sign of the Paschal light, which unites us in the Church as lights for the world. At the deacon’s announcement, we responded “Amen,” affirming our commitment to embrace this mission, and shortly we will repeat our “yes” by renewing our baptismal promises.

This, my dear friends, is a Vigil filled with light, the oldest in the Christian tradition, known as the “mother of all vigils.” In it we relive the victory of the Lord of life over death and the underworld. We do this, as part of one great celebration, after having journeyed in recent days through the mysteries of the Passion of the God who became for us “a man of sorrows” (Is 53:3), “despised and rejected by men” (ibid.), tortured and crucified.

Is there a greater act of charity? A more complete gift? The risen One is the same creator of the universe who, just as he brought us into existence out of nothing at the dawn of history, also gave his life for us on the Cross to show us his boundless love.

The first reading reminded us of this with the account of creation. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (cf. Gen 1:1), bringing the cosmos out of chaos, harmony out of disorder and entrusting to us – made in his image and likeness – the task of being its stewards. Even when, through sin, humanity failed to live up to that plan, the Lord did not abandon us, but revealed his merciful face to us in an even more surprising way – through forgiveness.

The “holy mystery of this night,” then, has its roots even in the place where humanity’s first failure took place, and extends across the centuries as a path of reconciliation and grace.

Through the sacred texts we have heard, the liturgy has shown us some of the stages of this journey. It reminded us how God stopped Abraham’s hand as he was about to sacrifice his son Isaac, to show us that he does not desire our death, but rather that we dedicate ourselves to being, in his hands, living members of the lineage of those who are saved (cf. Gen 22:11–12, 15–18).

04.04.26

The Gospel in your pocket

How do we receive the Word of God? The response is clear: As one receives Jesus Christ. The Church tells us that Jesus is present in the Scripture, in His Word.

Always carry a small Gospel with you in your purse, in your pocket, and read a passage from the Gospel during the day. Not so much to learn something, but mostly to find Jesus, because Jesus actually is in His Word, in His Gospel. Every time I read the Gospel, I find Jesus. - Pope Francis 01.09.14

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Thank you, Francis

Every month, you have invited us to pray with you for the challenges of humanity and the mission of the Church, teaching us to learn compassion for others from the heart of Christ. Thank you, Francis, for your life and your witness.

Your Worldwide Prayer Network.

Pope Francis Easter Message and Urbi et Orbi Blessing 20.04.25

Easter Sunday