Pope Leo XIV waves from the popemobile during an Oct. 15, 2025 public audience in St. Peter's Square. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA.

Rome Newsroom, Oct 15, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

Optimism can disappoint us, but Christian hope “promises and fulfills” our hearts’ desire for fullness, Pope Leo XIV said at his weekly audience on Wednesday.

Addressing thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 15, the pope said, “This deep desire in our hearts can find its ultimate answer not in roles, not in power, not in having, but in the certainty that there is someone who guarantees this constitutive impulse of our humanity; in the awareness that this expectation will not be disappointed or thwarted. This certainty coincides with hope.”

“This does not mean thinking in an optimistic way: often optimism lets us down, causing our expectations to implode, whereas hope promises and fulfills,” he added in his weekly message.

The Holy Father continued his reflections on the mystery of Christ, which culminates in the Resurrection, but this time he linked it to “current human and historical reality, with its questions and challenges.”

“From Christ’s Resurrection springs that hope that gives us a foretaste, despite the fatigue of living, of a deep and joyful calm: that peace that only he can give us in the end, without end,” the pope explained.

Leo recalled that human existence is full of contrasts — joy, sadness, gratitude, and stress — but that only in the Risen Christ does the heart find the fullness it seeks.

“We live busy lives, we concentrate on achieving results, and we even attain lofty, prestigious goals. Conversely, we remain suspended, precarious, awaiting success and recognition that are delayed or do not arrive at all,” he continued.

The pope acknowledged that this tension between the desire for fulfillment and the experience of limitation defines much of the human condition: “We find ourselves experiencing a paradoxical situation: we would like to be happy, and yet it is very difficult to be happy in a continuous way, without any shadows. We come to terms with our limitations and, at the same time, with the irrepressible urge to try to overcome them. We feel deep down that we are always missing something.”

However, the pontiff said, this feeling of “lack” is the call to find fulfillment in the Risen One.

“In truth,” he said, “we were not created for lack, but for fullness, to rejoice in life, and life in abundance, according to Jesus’ expression in the Gospel of John [10:10],” which says, “A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

Leo emphasized that the Risen Christ “is the wellspring that satisfies our thirst, the infinite thirst for fullness that the Holy Spirit imbues into our hearts. Indeed, the Resurrection of Christ is not a simple event of human history, but the event that transformed it from within.”

The Holy Father noted that spiritual thirst is a permanent condition of the human heart, and only Jesus, who died and rose again, can answer our deepest questions, such as, “is there really a destination for us? Does our existence have any meaning? And the suffering of so many innocents, how can it be redeemed?”

“The Risen Jesus does not bestow upon us an answer ‘from above,’ but becomes our companion on this often arduous, painful and mysterious journey. Only He can fill our empty flask when our thirst becomes unbearable,” he explained.

“We are fragile creatures,” Leo added. “Mistakes are part of our humanity; it is the wound of sin that makes us fall, give up, despair. To rise again instead means to get up and stand on our feet.”

The Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), popularly known as the Vatican Bank. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Oct 15, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Last week, Pope Leo XIV introduced a significant reform to the financial architecture of the Holy See.

With the motu proprio Coniuncta Cura, (“Shared Responsibility”) the Holy Father revoked the exclusive right that the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR by its Italian acronym) — popularly known as the “Vatican Bank” — had until then for investment management, opening the door to the use of other foreign financial intermediaries if deemed more efficient or appropriate.

The new regulations do not seek to remove investments from the Vatican purview but rather to open the possibility of management to accredited financial intermediaries.

“If there is a sum to be invested, it was previously done only through the IOR; but now it can also be done through the APSA [Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See]. This does not mean that investments will be made outside [of the Vatican] but rather that external financial organizations can step in to assist the Vatican,” Mimmo Muolo, an expert on Holy See finances and a journalist for the Italian Bishops’ Conference’s newspaper, Avvenire, told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

Pope Leo XIV — who has practical experience in financial management as superior of the Order of St. Augustine — “wanted to apply the economic principle of diversification in the Vatican,” Muolo noted.

Reactivating the Vatican’s other economic-financial lung

This decision effectively means “reactivating the Vatican’s other economic-financial lung,” he explained. The APSA, in fact, is the body responsible for managing the Vatican’s real estate assets, which total some 2,400 apartments, most of them located in Rome and Castel Gandolfo. In addition, there are another 600 units rented to businesses or used as offices.

The expert explained that, in reality, the IOR — a small financial institution with just over 100 employees — “is not a bank” but rather “a large investment fund that has made it possible to channel financial resources.”

“The true Vatican bank is APSA, the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, which manages both the real estate assets — the Vatican apartments and palaces — and the securities, shares, and financial resources,” he pointed out.

The core of the reform, Muolo pointed out, is pragmatic: ensuring the economic sustainability of the Holy See, whose operation requires a significant staffing structure.

“You have to keep in mind,” he explained, “that between the Holy See and the Vatican City State, which are legally distinct but connected, there are about 5,000 employees.”

“Just guaranteeing the monthly salary of those 5,000 workers requires quite a large amount of resources. This amount also comes from the profits from the investments that have been made to date,” he noted.

Reorganizing to improve performance

Muolo interprets the pope’s decision as an attempt to reorganize management and is based on the “determination to maximize and improve performance.”

“Previously, there was a monopoly regime, with the IOR as the sole actor doing everything. Now, however, the stimulus will also come from the outside because instead of being carried away by inertia, new avenues, new partners, and new solutions will be sought,” he explained.

The expert believes this decision by Pope Leo will stimulate “a certain internal competition between APSA and the IOR to find the best solutions and increase revenue.”

The measure, which repeals the Rescriptum ex Audientia promulgated by Pope Francis in August 2022, represents a change of direction in Vatican financial policy.

The Argentine pontiff had centralized all fund and asset management in the IOR and APSA, forcing the Curia institutions to transfer their resources to accounts managed by these bodies: “We know well that the internal needs for the functioning of the Holy See have increased but resources have not. Moreover, during the COVID years, there was also a major crisis in revenues.”

“That’s why I believe Pope Leo is moving in this direction: seeking new vehicles, new financial operators who can, while always respecting the Holy See’s rules on ethical investments, increase revenues,” he added.

No scandal in reversing Pope Francis’ reform

Finally, Muolo emphasized the realistic and evolving nature of the reform, which he considers a reasonable correction of the framework established by Francis: “Not all reforms that are implemented necessarily produce the expected results,” he said.

“If a reform doesn’t work, it’s good to change it. And I think Pope Leo did not act solely out of his own personal will. He probably received reports, saw accounting records, consulted with experts in the field, and deemed it appropriate to slightly correct the course set by Pope Francis. I don’t see anything scandalous in this: It’s normal that over time, reforms are made to reforms,” ​​he noted.

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

WASHINGTON – The Catholic Church in the United States will commemorate National Vocation Awareness Week, November 2-8. Each year, national Catholic organizations, dioceses, schools, and local parish communities sponsor events and provide different resources to raise awareness for vocations, and help those who are discerning a vocation, particularly one to ordained ministry or consecrated life.

“In this Jubilee Year of Hope, let us celebrate all who have responded to God’s call whether to serve as husbands, wives, parents, priests and others as ordained ministers, or consecrated persons,” said Bishop Earl A. Boyea, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. 

“In a meditation during the Jubilee of Seminarians, Pope Leo XIV said, ‘If you cultivate your heart through daily periods of silence, meditation, and prayer, you will learn the art of discernment. This, too, is important: learning discernment. When we are young, we overflow with desires, dreams and ambitions. Our hearts can often be overwhelmed and bewildered. On the other hand, if we follow the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we will surely learn to keep all those things in our heart and meditate on them.’ 

“With fervor, then, let us pray and renew our commitment to journey with and encourage young people as they discover the hope God has placed in their hearts through discerning how He has called them to be witnesses of the love ‘poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.’” (Romans 5:5)

Resources for National Vocation Awareness Week are available on the USCCB’s website in both English and Spanish.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Power, possessions and rank do not satisfy the deep desire for real meaning in life, Pope Leo XIV said.

"It is only the resurrected Jesus who can give the true and lasting peace that sustains and fills us," the pope said in English Oct. 15 during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square.

"We are not truly satisfied with achievements and passing certainties of this world," he said, "because we are created in the image and likeness of God and through the power of the Holy Spirit we recognize an inexhaustible longing in our hearts for something more."

Greeting Polish-speaking visitors during the audience, the pope said he was joining them in asking for the intercession of St. John Paul II, whose feast day is Oct. 22.

Calling the Polish-born pope a "witness of hope and guide of young people," Pope Leo prayed: "May he inspire teachers, catechists and educators to collaborate with parents in forming the consciences of the new generations." 

Before the general audience, the pope received a 12-year-old silver-gray purebred Arabian horse as a gift from a Polish-born horse breeder. Video showed Pope Leo holding its reins and comfortably leading the horse by its bridle in a small courtyard inside Vatican City. The pope often traveled by horse when serving as a missionary in Peru.

The horse, named Proton, was raised at a stud farm in Poland, the Vatican press office said in a statement. Sired by Kahil Al Shaqab, a renowned stallion and show horse, Proton's maternal grandfather is Hlayyil Ramadan, a world Arabian horse champion, who was born and bred in Jordan by Princess Alia Al-Hussein.

Meanwhile, in his ongoing series of audience talks on the Jubilee theme, "Jesus Christ our Hope," Pope Leo reflected on how Christ's resurrection fulfills the desires of every human heart.

"We live busy lives, we concentrate on achieving results, and we even attain lofty, prestigious goals," he said in his main address in Italian.

"We would like to be happy, and yet it is very difficult to be happy in a continuous way, without any shadows," he said. "We feel deep down that we are always missing something."

However, he said, "we were not created for lack, but for fullness, to rejoice in life, and life in abundance."

"This deep desire in our hearts can find its ultimate answer not in roles, not in power, not in having, but in the certainty that there is someone who guarantees this constitutive impulse of our humanity; in the awareness that this expectation will not be disappointed or thwarted," the pope said. 

The risen Jesus "is the wellspring that satisfies our thirst, the infinite thirst for fullness that the Holy Spirit imbues into our hearts," he said. "Indeed, the resurrection of Christ is not a simple event of human history, but the event that transformed it from within."

Just like water quenches thirst, refreshes, irrigates and renders fertile "what would otherwise remain barren," he said, "the Risen One is the living wellspring" that always "stays pure and ready for anyone who is thirsty."

Only Jesus "responds to the deepest questions of our heart: is there really a destination for us? Does our existence have any meaning? And the suffering of so many innocents, how can it be redeemed?" he said.

"The risen Jesus does not bestow upon us an answer 'from above,' but becomes our companion on this often arduous, painful and mysterious journey," he said. "Only He can fill our empty flask when our thirst becomes unbearable."

Jesus is also "the destination of our journey. Without his love, the voyage of life would become wandering without a goal, a tragic mistake with a missed destination," he said. 

Human beings are "fragile creatures," who make mistakes, Pope Leo said. But the faithful can "rise again" with the help of the Risen One who "guarantees our arrival, leading us home, where we are awaited, loved, saved."

To journey with Jesus "means to experience being sustained despite everything, to have our thirst quenched and to be refreshed in the hardships and struggles that, like heavy stones, threaten to block or divert our history," he said.

"In a world struggling with fatigue and despair, let us be signs of hope, peace and joy of the risen Christ," he added.

Pope Leo: True peace comes from Jesus

A look at Pope Leo's general audience Oct. 15, 2025. (CNS video/Robert Duncan)

Pope Leo XIV meets Italian President Sergio Mattarella during his first state visit to the country that surrounds Vatican City State on Oct. 14, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA

Rome Newsroom, Oct 14, 2025 / 12:06 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV met with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace in Rome on Tuesday, highlighting the strong ties between the two states and the need to work toward lasting peace in every part of the world. 

Mattarella welcomed the Holy Father and his delegation, which included Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State Sister Raffaella Petrini, to his residence in Rome to strengthen the historic political ties between the Holy See and Italy.

The Holy Father spoke of the “sincere friendship and fruitful mutual collaboration” between Italy and the popes and emphasized the need for the two states to contribute to multilateral peace processes in regions, including the Middle East and Europe.

I “renew my heartfelt appeal that we continue to work to reestablish peace in every part of the world and that the principles of justice, equity, and cooperation among peoples — principles which form its irreplaceable foundation — be ever more cultivated and promoted,” he said in his Oct. 14 speech. 

Leo XIV commended the Italian government’s commitment to “alleviating situations of hardship caused by war and poverty,” particularly its efforts to support children in Gaza. 

“These are strong and effective contributions to building a dignified, peaceful, and prosperous coexistence for all members of the human family,” he said.

On Tuesday, the Holy Father donated 5,000 doses of antibiotics for children in Gaza following the opening of key humanitarian corridors into the city after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal came into effect Monday.

In light of the 800th anniversary of the death of Italy’s patron St. Francis of Assisi, in 2026, Leo also spoke about the “urgent issue of caring for our ‘common home.’”

“St. Francis taught us to praise the Creator through respect for all creatures, proclaiming his message from the geographical heart of the [Italian] peninsula and transmitting it — through the beauty of his writings and the witness of his life and that of his brothers — across the generations down to us,” he said.

“For this reason, I believe Italy has received, in a special way, the mission of transmitting to the nations a culture that recognizes the earth as ‘a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us,’” he continued, quoting Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato Si’.

Earlier this month, the Italian Senate approved a bill reinstating the Oct. 4 feast day of St. Francis of Assisi as a national holiday.

Toward the end of his speech, the Holy Father noted Italy’s declining birth rate and called for a “concerted effort” to promote choices at all levels in favor of the family and to uphold and protect life “in all its phases.”

“In particular, I wish to emphasize the importance of guaranteeing all families the indispensable support of dignified work, in fair conditions and with due attention to the needs related to motherhood and fatherhood,” he said.

“Let us do everything possible to give confidence to families — especially young families —  so that they may look to the future with serenity and grow in harmony,” he continued.

In his welcome speech, Mattarella spoke about the “unbreakable bond” between Italy and the Vatican and commended the work of the European Union’s founding fathers, “many of whom had a Christian background” and who rebuilt peace in the region after World War II. 

Recalling Pope Leo’s consistent messages of peace since his election, the Italian president said political leaders have the responsibility to “reject the glorification of conflict” and “foster dialogue and mutual understanding.”

“This peace, as you emphasized, begins with each of us, and that is why it is so essential to disarm, unarm our hearts and disarm our words,” he said.

Pope Leo XIV greets a baby at his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Vatican City, Oct 14, 2025 / 08:41 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has sent 5,000 doses of antibiotics to the Gaza Strip in a humanitarian gesture aimed primarily at children and made possible by the recent reopening of key border crossings allowing the entry of aid.

According to Vatican News, the shipment of the medicines began this week, following the ceasefire and the start of the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace deal.

Israel is allowing the entry of up to 600 aid trucks per day, operated by the United Nations and authorized by international organizations, private sector actors, and donor countries. On Oct. 12, more than 170 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid crossed into Gaza, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The shipment of antibiotics to Gaza was coordinated by the Office of the Papal Almoner, the Vatican dicastery charged with carrying out charitable works for the poor and those in need on behalf of the pope, and led by Cardinal Konrad Krajewski.

“We are putting into practice the words of the apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te, dedicated to the poor,” Krajewski explained to Vatican News. “It is necessary to act, to pay attention to those in need.”

Infant formula delivered to Gaza

Caritas Jerusalem has become one of the first humanitarian organizations to respond to the ceasefire in Gaza, quickly mobilizing to address the urgent needs of families and children throughout the Gaza Strip.

Following the ceasefire, Caritas Jerusalem deployed its medical teams to deliver 10,000 bottles of infant formula to families with newborns and young children who had been deprived of basic nutrition during the months of conflict.

The distribution was carried out through Caritas’ network of medical centers in Gaza, ensuring that the aid reached the most vulnerable communities quickly and safely, the Catholic organization reported.

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

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Making the first state visit of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV met Italian President Sergio Mattarella and spoke of common concerns, including war, migration, ecology and Italy's declining birthrate.

"In a climate of cordial respect, the Catholic Church and the Italian state collaborate for the common good -- at the service of the human person, whose inviolable dignity must always remain at the forefront of decision-making and action at all levels of social development, especially in defending the most fragile and needy," the pope told the president.

The morning meeting Oct. 14 took place at the Quirinal Palace, a former papal residence that has been home to Italian kings and presidents since 1870. 

Embracing all the pomp of an official visit, Pope Leo began his 2-mile journey to the palace by being greeted by Italian government officials just outside St. Peter's Square and then was escorted in a motorcade by the Italian military. The Italian cavalry, mounted on horseback, led the pope's car into the palace courtyard.

After a private meeting with Mattarella, the pope and president exchanged speeches in the Mirrors Room, which Italian kings once used as a ballroom.

While celebrating their common stances and cooperation on a host of issues, the two leaders also expressed common concerns.

"As is sadly evident," Pope Leo said, "we live in a time that, alongside many signs of hope, is marked by grave suffering that wounds humanity worldwide and demands urgent yet farsighted responses." 

"Numerous wars are devastating our planet, and as we look at the images, read the news, hear the voices and meet the people painfully affected," the pope said, he remembers the strong and prophetic words of his predecessors warning of the devastation that could come and pleading for peace.

"I therefore renew my heartfelt appeal that we continue to work to reestablish peace in every part of the world," he said, "and that the principles of justice, equity and cooperation among peoples -- principles which form its irreplaceable foundation -- be ever more cultivated and promoted."

Pope Leo also noted that the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi will be marked in 2026. "This offers an opportunity to highlight the urgent issue of caring for our common home," he said.

By teaching people to praise God by respecting God's creation, he said, "Italy has received, in a special way, the mission of transmitting to the nations a culture that recognizes the earth as 'a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us,'" as Pope Francis wrote. 

The declining birthrate in Italy and across Europe was another concern Pope Leo highlighted in his speech to Mattarella, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and top members of her cabinet.

The government must take action to support families, the pope said. Italians' traditional love of family and willingness to sacrifice for them is good for the country.

"In particular, I wish to emphasize the importance of guaranteeing all families the indispensable support of dignified work, in fair conditions and with due attention to the needs related to motherhood and fatherhood," he said. "Let us do everything possible to give confidence to families -- especially young families -- so that they may look to the future with serenity and grow in harmony." 

Pope Leo also urged Italians "to uphold and protect life in all its phases, from conception to old age, until the moment of death."

And he thanked Italy "for the generous assistance this country offers to migrants who increasingly knock at its doors, as well as for its efforts in combating human trafficking."

Migration and trafficking "are among the great challenges of our time," he said, "and Italy has never turned away from them."

"I encourage you to keep alive your attitude of openness and solidarity," the pope said, adding that migrants must be helped to integrate by learning "the values and traditions of Italian society."

Pope Leo calls for peace, solidarity and stronger families

Pope Leo XIV made a formal visit to the Quirinal Palace in Rome Oct. 14 to meet with Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella.

WASHINGTON – When the U.S. bishops gather in November for their Fall Plenary Assembly, November 10-13, they will elect the next president and vice president for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

The president and vice president are elected from a slate of 10 candidates who have been nominated by their fellow bishops. They are as follows (in alphabetical order):

• Bishop Robert E. Barron, Diocese of Winona-Rochester
• Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
• Bishop Daniel E. Flores, Diocese of Brownsville
• Archbishop Richard G. Henning, Archdiocese of Boston
• Bishop David J. Malloy, Diocese of Rockford
• Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez, Archdiocese of Philadelphia
• Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
• Archbishop Alexander K. Sample, Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
• Archbishop Charles C. Thompson, Archdiocese of Indianapolis
• Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger, Archdiocese of Detroit

The president and vice president are elected to three-year terms, which begin at the conclusion of this year’s Plenary Assembly. At that time, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, will complete their terms as president and vice president, respectively.

The by-laws of the USCCB provide that the first election is that of the president by simple majority vote of members present and voting. Following the election of the president, the vice-president is elected from the remaining nine candidates. In either election, if a candidate does not receive more than half of the votes cast on the first ballot, a second vote is taken. If a third round of voting is necessary, that ballot is a run-off between the two bishops who received the most votes on the second ballot. 

During the meeting, the bishops will also vote for new chairmen of six USCCB standing committees: Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance; Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs; Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis; Committee on International Justice and Peace; Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People; and the Committee on Religious Liberty. The six committee chairmen elected will serve for one year as chairman-elect before beginning a three-year term at the conclusion of the bishops’ 2026 Fall General Assembly. Should any of the candidates for committee chairmanship be elected to fill to a higher office, the bishops’ Committee on Priorities and Plans will convene to nominate a new candidate for that committee.

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The main altar at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, which was desecrated on Oct. 10, 2025. / Credit: Jorge Royan (CC BY-SA 3.0)

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 13, 2025 / 17:43 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica and vicar general of the pope for Vatican City, presided Oct. 13 over a penitential rite of reparation at the main altar of the church following a serious act of desecration that had taken place on Oct. 10.

After a penitential procession that began at 12:45 p.m. local time, Gambetti sprinkled the altar with holy water and incensed it to purify it.

The rite, attended by members of the chapter of the Vatican basilica, emphasized asking God for “forgiveness” for the desecration, Father Enzo Fortunato, director of communications for St. Peter’s Basilica, told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

On Friday, Oct. 10, a man whose identity has not been revealed was arrested by security guards after he climbed onto the Altar of the Confession, located under Bernini’s baldachin, and urinated on it while tourists looked on in astonishment.

Pope Leo XIV expressed his consternation upon learning of the incident and asked Gambetti to perform an act of reparation to restore the sanctity of the place and ask forgiveness for what had happened.

This is the second instance of desecration in St. Peter’s Basilica in less than a year. In February, a man severely damaged part of the main altar, breaking several candelabras. In June 2023, an individual of Polish origin stripped naked in the same place as a form of protest against the war in Ukraine. 

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

Pope Leo XIV waves to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality on Oct. 12, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Oct 13, 2025 / 14:12 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV called on Catholics to support missionaries on World Mission Day, which will be celebrated on Oct. 19.

In a video message released Oct. 13, the Holy Father — who served as a missionary bishop in the Peruvian Diocese of Chiclayo — stated that this day is an opportunity for the entire Catholic Church to unite in prayer for missionaries “and for the fruitfulness of their apostolic labors.”

He shared his experience as a missionary in Peru, where he saw firsthand “how the faith, the prayer, and the generosity shown on World Mission Sunday can transform entire communities.”

The pope invited every Catholic parish in the world to participate in World Mission Sunday, emphasizing that their prayers and support help proclaim the Gospel, “provide for pastoral and catechetical programs, help to build new churches, and care for the health and educational needs of our brothers and sisters in mission territories.”

The pontiff also urged the faithful to reflect on their baptismal call “to be missionaries of hope among the peoples” and to renew their commitment “to the sweet and joyful task of bringing Christ Jesus our hope to the ends of the earth.”

Pope Leo concluded his message by thanking the faithful for their support for Catholic missionaries around the world.

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