The catechesis in today’s audience in the Paul VI Hall focused on the Second Vatican Council and Dei Verbum. The knowledge about God is "relational", realised in Jesus the "mediator," with his "integral humanity." Salvation also comes from the "real body" of Jesus. The pontiff also focused on building strong bonds of unity during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Leo XIV's message for the 34th World Day of the Sick has been released, which will be the heart of celebrations on 11 February 2026, in Chiclayo, Peru. The pontiff slams the culture of "haste" and "indifference”, pointing to the "sweet joy of loving," as an antidote, rooted in the bond with Christ. He cites the parable of the Samaritan and the encyclical Fratelli tutti: “To serve one’s neighbor is to love God through deeds”
The invitation starts the Ecumenical Week, whose meditations were prepared by the Armenian Apostolic Church this year. As John the Baptist did, the call is not to seek approval and fame at all costs, but to love simple things and sincere words to recognise Jesus.
Tomorrow, Cardinal Parolin and Bishop Berardi will lead the ceremony to elevate the historic place of worship in Al Ahmadi. In its latest report on the Vicariate of Northern Arabia, AsiaNews presents the day of celebration local Catholics enjoyed. For the parish priest, Father Fernandes, it is a point of reference in daily life, pastoral care, and spirituality. Challenges and critical issues face the local Church.
At today's general audience, the first of Leo XIV's catechesis on the documents of the Second Vatican Council. ‘Words are not only used to exchange information, but to reveal who we are. Let us not fail to set aside time for prayer and meditation in our daily and weekly lives as Christians.’
Today, on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Leo XIV baptised 20 children in the Sistine Chapel. “Remember the gift you have received”. At the Angelus, he blessed “children born in difficult conditions, both in terms of health and external dangers”. In the Middle East, pursue ‘the common good of the whole society’. Appeal to end violence in Ukraine.
At the start of the new year, the pontiff met with diplomats accredited to the Vatican. The topics he touched included the "weakness of multilateralism," war "back in vogue”, and the threats to the rule of law. He spoke out against “diplomacy based on force" and the use of "ever more fluid" language that hinders dialogue. He expressed concerns for freedom of conscience and religion, noting that “a truly free society does not impose uniformity”. He also spoke out in defence of life, migrants, and appealed for peace in Myanmar.
The 170 cardinals chose synodality and evangelisation as the main themes. There was no written document at the end, but listening and sharing are “the way” to follow. For Leo XIV, the Church can “offer a model of collegiality”. The relationship with local Churches must be boosted since it is harder to consult them. The College is called to be a “community of faith” rather than “a mere group of experts.”
Leo XIV held his first general audience of 2026 in the Nervi Hall, in the presence of 7,000 people. He began the reflections on the Council documents to “continue to seek ways and means to implement its insights," and “achieve ecclesial reform more fully”. The pope is also set to preside over his first extraordinary consistory this afternoon, with all the cardinals summoned to Rome.
Leo XIV closed the Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica, and referred to the multitudes of pilgrims who passed through it as today's new Magi. Of the 33 million who arrived in Rome, 7.69 per cent came from Asia, with China as the eighth country in terms of numbers. God will continue “to amaze us,” especially “if our communities are homes “. If they “resist the flattery and seduction of those in power, then we will be the generation of a new dawn.”
Leo XIV spoke at the Angelus about developments in Latin America, calling for “Overcoming violence” and pursuing the “paths of justice and peace”. He urged respect for "human and civil rights." On the Jubilee of 2025, which ends in two days, he said that hope “is the incarnation of God," who calls for "the promotion of fraternity and communion.”
Leo XIV on the first day of 2026: “Without desiring good, there would be no point in turning the pages of the calendar”. At Mass on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God: “The world is not saved by sharpening weapons but by striving to understand and forgive”.
For Cardinal Mathieu, the end of the twelve-day war “has not dispelled the spectre of renewed hostilities. The question, according to the cardinal, is not 'if, but when”. In anticipation of World Peace Day, peace remains an “ideal and goal” also in relation to the “Jewish and Arab/Persian equivalents”. And may it be real “in hearts, in communities and in the world”.
On the feast of the Holy Family, Leo XIV recited the Angelus from the Apostolic Palace. He invited everyone to pray “for families suffering because of war”. In his commentary on the Gospel, he said that the family of Nazareth was God's “nest and cradle” in a “despotic world”. On today's ‘Herods’: ‘Let us not allow them to suffocate the flame of love in Christian families.’
The words of Leo XIV at the Angelus on the feast of Saint Stephen: “Those who believe in peace and have chosen the unarmed path of Jesus and the martyrs are often ridiculed, pushed out of public discourse, and not infrequently accused of favoring adversaries and enemies. Christians, however, have no enemies, but always brothers and sisters.”
“Jesus Christ is our peace,” said the pope in his Urbi et Orbi message, with him hatred and violence are rejected. Looking to the world, the pontiff appealed for "a future of reconciliation" in Myanmar and urged Cambodia and Thailand to rediscover their "ancient friendship." He also cited Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai who called on God to let peace “come like wildflowers, suddenly, because the field must have it”.
Leo XIV met with cardinals and heads of Vatican dicasteries. In his address, he remembered Francis’s “prophetic voice". Citing Evangelii Gaudium, he reflected on two "fundamental aspects" of the Church: mission and communion. Structures "must not weigh down [. . .] the dynamism of evangelization”. The authorities are called to be "the leaven of fraternity," without masks or subterfuge.
Today, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, after the Angelus, Leo XIV blessed the little Jesus figurines brought by the young people of Rome. The bambinelli will go to homes, schools, and oratories. [A]s you stand before your Nativity scenes, please pray to Jesus for the Pope’s intentions as well,” Leo said. Regarding today's Gospel, he spoke about Joseph as “a fragile and fallible man,” one who “at the same time is courageous and strong in faith.”
In the third instalment of AsiaNews’ report from the Gulf, Monsignor Bernardi reflects on the richness each person brings to the celebrations of Catholic communities composed of people from many different backgrounds. There are numerous challenges: from internal disputes among the Syro-Malabars to the need for formation that prevents faith from slipping into mere devotionalism. Local and universal jubilees are experienced with “dynamism and creativity”.
Pope Leo’s message for the World Day of Peace on 1 January 2026 has been released, inspired by the words he spoke immediately after his election. He decries the “confrontational logic” that considers “a fault not to be sufficiently prepared for war.” He highlights the arms race and the failure of “political and military leaders” to take responsibility. Instead, as Saint Augustine said, “those who truly love peace also love the enemies of peace.”
The pope continued his series of Jubilee catechesis in St Peter's. He noted that modern life is marked by "constant movement”, and that inner emptiness shows that "we are not machines." Instead, the heart reaches out to "God who is Love," a "treasure" obtained by loving "brothers and sisters in flesh and blood”. The pontiff hopes the nativity scene will continue to be part of Christmas.
In front of 6,000 prisoners, family members, and prison workers from around the world, the pontiff renewed his call for all countries to grant amnesty for the Holy Year.
On the centenary of the pontifical institute established by Pius XI in 1925, the pontiff published a letter on the importance of this discipline for the Church. Archaeology has a "sensory" role to "touch, see, and hear the Word made flesh." It “teaches us that nothing touched by faith is insignificant." And it helps “Those who know their own history know who they are.”
At the general audience in St Peter's Square, the pope appealed to the two Southeast Asian countries once again embroiled in fighting. In his weekly catechesis, he reflected on death and its "pedagogical value", despite today’s tendency to remove it. Leo also warned against transhumanism, which theorises the prolongation of life through technology, asking: “could science itself guarantee us that a life without death is also a happy life?”
Leo XIV recites the Angelus from the Apostolic Palace. ‘Let us express our joy, for the immaculate beauty of the Mother of God.’ Mary's “yes” is “wonderful” and can be emulated ‘in prayer and in concrete works, from the most extraordinary gestures to daily services.’
Pope Leo XIV spoke about the peoples of South and Southeast Asia hit by Cyclone Ditwah, urging the faithful to support them "with gestures of solidarity." Among the faithful, a sign read: "Sri Lanka is sinking. Don't leave us alone." Regarding his recent visit to Turkey and Lebanon, the pontiff said that it “teaches us that peace is possible, and that Christians [. . .] can contribute to building it up.”
Yesterday's episcopal ordination in Henan is opening new wounds rather than healing old ones. The underground bishop whose resignation Rome accepted is still under strict surveillance, unable to attend "his" ceremony, and not even his family can see him. A priest commented: Beijing is violating “the spirit of the Agreement.” “This is not the first time” that the Church “finds herself forced into silence, humiliation”. Ultimately, she “is not sustained by power, but by faith”.
The surprising welcome of the Lebanese people, whom Leone XIV praised for the “simplicity” of their faith. They recognised him as a “man of God full of zeal and compassion”. Beirut's efforts to make peace with Israel (and the US). A land of encounter between Islam and Christianity, it must also become a pioneer of Christian unity.
The Archbishop Emeritus of Guwahati spoke to the Asian Missionary Congress. While nationalists see Christians as foreigners, “we defend the values of our people”. As missionaries, too little is being done, but bringing Jesus can heal “negative memories” and “build more relationships”.
For Bishop Palinuro, the presence of Leo XIV has restored "enthusiasm" to a Catholic community that had fallen into a certain torpor. The encounter with Orthodox leaders represented a return "to the origins of our faith," even if challenges remain. The pontiff's simple gestures have lifted “biases" among Muslims. The Vatican and Turkey are equally committed to peace in the Middle East through diplomacy.
