Pope Leo XIV

After a localised nodule was found in his lung, Leo “decided to undergo surgery to remove it” in “the coming days” at Rome's Gemelli Hospital. The Holy See Press Office expects a one-week post-operative hospital stay. Regarding “tormented Ukraine”, the pontiff issued an appeal for the “safe transport” of grain in the Black Sea.

Pope Leo XIV approved the prelate’s election following the resignation of 92-year-old Cardinal Re. The 69-year-old Philippine cardinal will serve a five-year term, renewable once. A briefing was held at the Vatican today regarding the initial proceedings marking the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia. A Philippine couple was grateful for the presence of others and the opportunity to learn from different cultures. For Father Costa, these meetings are “rooted in shared prayer.”

In his catechesis on Gaudium et Spes, Pope Leo XIV said that the Church’s purpose is not "political" in nature, but rather to bear witness to faith, charity, and peace. Believers “cannot accept the oppression of the weak and the poor.” The pontiff highlighted the disconnect between professed faith and daily life. In the afternoon, a meeting will mark the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia.

The artist, of Lebanese origin and now living in France, performed at the Stade de France during Leo XIV’s apostolic journey. Her bond with the family that passed on her faith to her and with her homeland, ‘trodden upon by Christ’. Speaking to AsiaNews: ‘A new generation of Christians is showing hope’.

At today’s general audience, Pope Leo XIV spoke about the visit he just concluded. During the Mass with 800,000 people, "everyone was able to receive the Eucharist”. The rise in baptisms in the country was a “‘surprise’ from God." In Lourdes the pontiff said that every human life “deserves to be cared for.” In Metz, he noted that European fraternity owes “much to its Christian roots.”

Pope Leo XIV travelled to northeastern France in the final legal of his apostolic visit. Here he took part in an interfaith meeting with representatives of various religions sharing an appeal to act together in the “service of peace” echoing the spirit of Assisi 1986. In his address, he said that invoking God to legitimise violence is a form of profanation. Instead, “Religions are guardians of life,” he said. Yesterday in Lourdes, he met with seven people abused by members of the clergy.

Pope Leo XIV’s visit in France continues. Yesterday, he prayed at the Grotto of Massabielle, and today he celebrated Mass before 150,000 faithful, urging them to “leave as missionaries of hope.” At the Marian shrine, “no one is turned away due to their frailty.” During the Angelus, he issued an appeal, to pray the Rosary "with the particular intention that wars may cease”.

At the Institut Catholique de Paris, the pope spoke of the wonder of faith in adulthood in a “secularized” French society. Meeting migrants at the Maison Bakhita, he bemoaned “a culture that tears communities apart and leaves cities sick with loneliness.” In the afternoon, he led Mass at the Place de la Concorde.

Pope Francis’s first day in France a visit to the Pavillon d’Honneur where he asked, “What does it mean to be human?” He spoke out against dehumanisation and a view of humanity tied to efficiency, noting that AI is incapable of answering questions about “meaning”. At the Élysée Palace, he said not to consider “the prospect of war” as “inevitable;” urging instead “dialogue and diplomacy.”  

In his catechesis, Leo XIV called on the faithful to take part in the Eucharist on the weekly feast day. Sunday is both "foundation and kernel”, the day with which we mark Christ's resurrection and his work of salvation. The pope also addressed a thought to young people, newlyweds, and the sick, ahead of the Feast of the Assumption.

The pope visited Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Porziuncola, on the eighth centenary of the passing of Saint Francis. He urged the participants of the "Go! Franciscan Youth Meeting" to “let the friars' mats and your sleeping bags speak of peace." In his homily, he said, “become fully human with the freedom of Jesus Christ; embrace Sister Poverty!”

A local study confirms the pervasive use of artificial intelligence, even among the youngest children. Researchers call on the government and families to pay more attention to the new technologies. In his encyclical, the pope urges education to also teach “when and for what purpose it ought not to be used it,” so as not to extinguish “the desire to ask questions”.