Pope on consecrated life: “Missionary boldness for new paths of evangelisation”

Prevost at the general audience renewed his invitation to pray the Holy Rosary “for peace in the world”. Last night to the press: “Reduce hatred, return to the capacity for dialogue”. The trip to Turkey is “to look ahead”; to Lebanon to ‘proclaim a message of peace in the Middle East’. Catechesis on the Resurrection: ‘No night is eternal’.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - On a sunny Wednesday, about 60,000 people in St Peter's Square welcomed Pope Leo XIV, who shortly before the 10 a.m. general audience brought greetings and blessings from the popemobile.

Among them were men and women religious participating in the Jubilee of Consecrated Life - from 8 to 12 October 2025 - to whom the pontiff addressed: "You are called to be eloquent signs of God's love and instruments of peace in every environment. Never tire of bearing witness to hope on the many frontiers of the modern world, knowing how to identify with missionary boldness new paths of evangelisation and human promotion.‘

In his greetings to German-speaking people, Prevost recalled that the month of October is dedicated to the prayer of the Holy Rosary: ’I invite all of you to recite the rosary every day for peace in the world."

And on peace, so necessary to alleviate the suffering of peoples, Leo XIV said last night in response to questions from journalists: ‘We must reduce hatred, we must return to the ability to dialogue, to seek peaceful solutions.’

On the second anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack, he added: "We must think deeply about how much hatred exists in the world, and begin with ourselves by asking: why does it exist? What can we do?‘ He continued: ’Then, in two years [...] 67,000 [...] Palestinians [...] have also been killed: it really makes you think about how much violence and evil man is capable of."

Yesterday evening, Pope Leo XIV also commented on the words of Cardinal Pietro Parolin, which were criticised by the Israeli embassy to the Holy See. ‘The cardinal expressed the Holy See's opinion very well,’ he said. Speaking about the announcement of his first apostolic journey, scheduled for the end of November, he said that the visit to Iznik, Turkey, on the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, is a visit ‘that Pope Francis wanted to make’ and that ‘it is not to look back, but to look forward’.

In Lebanon, on the other hand, there is an opportunity to ‘proclaim once again the message of peace in the Middle East.’ Bergoglio also wanted to go there to give ‘an embrace to the people of Lebanon after the explosion (at the port of Beirut on 4 August 2020, ed.), after all they have suffered,’ the pontiff added last night.

This morning's catechesis - part of the jubilee cycle dedicated to ‘Jesus Christ our hope’ - was inspired by Luke's Gospel passage about the disciples of Emmaus. In particular, Leo XIV emphasised the “humility” that characterises Christ's Resurrection, in that He ‘does nothing spectacular’, but rather ‘approaches with discretion’.

“We would have expected special effects, signs of power, overwhelming evidence. But the Lord does not seek this: he prefers the language of closeness, of normality, of sharing a meal”. This is what happens with Mary Magdalene, with the disciples of Emmaus, and with Peter and the other fishermen, who do not recognise him.

‘Brothers and sisters, there is a precious message in this: the Resurrection is not a theatrical coup, it is a silent transformation that fills every human gesture with meaning,’ said the pontiff. "In Christ's Easter, everything can become grace. Even the most ordinary things: eating, working, waiting, taking care of the house, supporting a friend. The Resurrection does not take life away from time and effort, but it changes its meaning and “flavour”.‘

Leo XIV highlighted an “obstacle” that ’prevents us from recognising this presence of Christ in everyday life: the claim that joy must be free of wounds." The disciples of Emmaus, despite knowing that the tomb is empty, are unable to rejoice.

‘Brothers and sisters, Christ's Resurrection teaches us that there is no story so marked by disappointment or sin that it cannot be visited by hope,’ the Pope continued in today's catechesis. "No fall is definitive, no night is eternal, no wound is destined to remain open forever. No matter how distant, lost or unworthy we may feel, there is no distance that can extinguish the unfailing power of God's love."