Pope Leo XIV this morning in Rome, at the Jubilee of FamiliesThe Church's message to the children, grandparents and the elderly, the family and the value of the "holy marriages" that the Church proposes as exemplary witnesses. In doing so, the Church "tells us that today's world needs the conjugal covenant in order to know and accept God's love, and to overcome, with its power to unite and reconcile, the forces that destroy relationships and societies".
Some of the couples mentioned by the Pope were Luigi and Celia Martin, parents of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Blessed Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi, and the Polish family Ulma.
The Pope also pointed out that "in the family, faith is transmitted along with life, from generation to generation: it is shared like the bread on the table and the affections of the heart. This makes it a privileged place to meet Jesus, who loves us and always wants our good".
And he recalled that "we have received life before we even desired it. As Pope Francis taught: "We are all children, but none of us chose to be born" (Angelus, 1 January 2025). He went on to emphasize that "the future of peoples is born from within families".
Wrapped by their love in a great project
At the beginning of his homily, in a true day of celebration of families, which brought together about fifty thousand people in St. Peter's Square, Pope Leo XIV referred to the Lord's words on unity, "ut omnes unum sint' (that they may all be one), which are taken up by St. John.
"The Gospel which we have just proclaimed shows us Jesus who, at the Last Supper, prays for us (cf. Jn 17,20). The Word of God made man, now nearing the end of his earthly life, thinks of us, his brothers and sisters, and becomes a blessing, supplication and praise to the Father, with the power of the Holy Spirit," the Pope said. "We too, as we enter with wonder and trust into the prayer of Jesus, see ourselves involved, through his love, in a great project that embraces all humanity."
"Christ asks, in fact, that we all be "one" (cf. v. 21). This is the greatest good that can be desired, because this universal union brings about among creatures the eternal communion of love that is God himself: the Father who gives life, the Son who receives it and the Spirit who shares it," he continued.
Pope's joy
Later, the Holy Father emphasized that with his words, "in his mercy, God has always wanted to welcome all men and women into his embrace; and it is his life, which is given to us through Christ, that makes us one, that unites us to one another. Hearing this Gospel today, during the Jubilee of Families and Children, of Grandparents and the Elderly, fills us with joy".
After the Holy Mass, the Pope brought forward the Regina caeli, once again sung by Leo XIV, because of the passage of the cyclists of the Giro d'Italia, an occasion to recall some reflections of the Popes on this sport, dear to the Pontiffs. In 1946, Pius XII received the participants of the famous stage race. And in 1974, St. Paul VI gave the start of the Giro. Pope Leo was scheduled to greet the cyclists as they passed by.
Greeting to the families at the Regina caeli
"I am happy to welcome so many children, who rekindle our hope. I greet all families, small domestic churches, in which the Gospel is welcomed and transmitted," said Pope Leo XIV before intoning the Marian prayer of the Regina caeli.
In his words, he recalled St. John Paul II. The family," said St. John Paul II, "has its origins in the love with which the Creator embraces the created world (cf. Letter Gratissimam sane, 2). May faith, hope and charity always grow in our lives. families. A special greeting to grandparents and the elderly, who are genuine models of faith and inspiration for the younger generations. Thank you for coming," Pope Leo XIV said.
Then, after recalling the celebration of the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, "a very beautiful feast, which makes us look towards the goal of our earthly journey," the Pontiff mentioned a beatification that took place yesterday in Braniewo (Poland).
Sisters who spend their lives for God's Kingdom
In fact, this Saturday "Christophora Klomfass and fourteen sisters of the Congregation of St. Catherine, Virgin and Martyr, killed in 1945 by the soldiers of the Red Army in the territories of present-day Poland, were beatified. Despite the climate of hatred and terror against the Catholic faith, they continued to serve the sick and orphans".
Pope Leo added that "we entrust to the intercession of the new Blessed Martyrs all over the world who spend their lives generously for the Kingdom of God.
In conclusion, the Pontiff prayed to the Virgin Mary to "bless families and support them in their difficulties. I am thinking especially of those who suffer because of war in the Middle East, in Ukraine and in other parts of the world. May the Mother of God help us to walk together on the path of peace".
