Pope Leo XIV takes time on a busy Sunday to greet and thank Vatican staff

 

Pope meets with staff and their families of the Floreria and the Building Office of Vatican City State  (@VATICAN MEDIA )

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• Pope Leo XIV
• audiences
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Pope thanks Vatican staff for their discreet and valuable service

Before his Angelus address, Pope Leo XIV greets directors, staff, and family members of the Vatican's florist office and building services and urges them to remember that “faith and prayer give full meaning to everything we do.”

By Kielce Gussie

Speaking with directors and staff of the Vatican's florist's office and building services, Pope Leo XIV expressed his gratitude for their work to maintain decorum and safety within the Vatican.

“As directors, employees, and workers of these two operational sectors of the Vatican City, you have shown great commitment to your responsibilities, especially during the recently concluded Jubilee Year”, the Pope highlighted.

Because of their dedication, he pointed out that millions of people had the opportunity to make the pilgrimage through the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica “in an orderly and serene manner, fruitfully participating in liturgical celebrations, audiences, and other events.”

Looking to the future

While appreciating their hard work, the Pope also offered encouragement for future projects. He specifically noted those having to do with the ongoing improvement of technical and logistical services and the care of spaces within the Vatican—particularly those reserved for meetings and prayer with the Pope.

He further explained that the dignity of these areas and the integrity of the structures “find their highest meaning in supporting the devotion of the faithful and the pastoral mission of the Church.”

Due to their work, the Pope pointed out that millions of pilgrims had the opportunity to pass through the Holy Door (@VATICAN MEDIA)

Specifically, St. Peter’s Basilica is a sacred place that needs to be protected as—more than anything else— “a temple of contemplation, recollection, and spiritual wonder.” The square that lies in front of it, which offers an embrace to everyone through its colonnade, “is, as we say, the ‘calling card’ of our welcome to all.”

We are all united

Pope Leo invited the members of the Vatican's florist's office and building services to join him, as they complete their daily tasks, in thinking about everyone who comes to the places they care for and to pray for them. He said, “faith and prayer give full meaning to everything we do.”

The Pope met with the Vatican employees and their families before the Angelus address (@VATICAN MEDIA)

The Holy Father also acknowledged that their daily work “is certainly a discreet and precious service to the Pope’s apostolic mission.” It is part of the broader work of the Vatican's Governorate and of the Directorate for Infrastructure and Services—which he commended for their attentive oversight of the many tasks entrusted to them in Vatican City State.

“Each of us, in our own role—especially in times of trial—should remember that we are members of a single body”, he stressed. Our purpose is therefore to testify to the Gospel “according to the command of the Lord, the Good Shepherd and Head of the Church.”

On Sunday Pope Leo XIV again condemns the violence against Christians in Nigeria

 

The body of a victim lies on a wooden stretcher following the attack in Woro, Kwara State, on February 5.  (AFP or licensors)

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• Pope Leo XIV
• Nigeria
• violence
• appeal
• terrorism

Pope condemns deadly attacks in Nigeria

At the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo XIV expresses "sorrow and concern" over the latest wave of deadly attacks in Nigeria, which have claimed dozens of lives, and expresses his hope that authorities will "continue to work with determination to ensure the safety and protection of the life of every citizen."

By Olivier Bonnel and Valerio Palombaro

Pope Leo has again appealed for prayers for Nigeria, which has recently suffered another spate of deadly attacks.

"It is with sorrow and concern that I learned of the recent attacks against various communities in Nigeria leading to a heavy loss of life," the Pope said, speaking on Sunday after reciting the noonday Angelus.. 

On the evening of 3 February, at least 160 people were killed in the village of Woro, in the country’s central-west region.

"I express my prayerful closeness to all the victims of violence and terrorism," the Pope added. "I likewise hope that the competent Authorities will continue to work with determination to ensure the safety and protection of the life of every citizen."

READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE POPE'S ADDRESS HERE

A new round of abductions

At least 51 people have also been abducted and six killed over the past three days during attacks on four different villages in Kaduna State. According to Nigerian security sources cited by AFP, the attacks took place in the southern part of Kaduna State, a predominantly Christian area, where more than 180 people were abducted in January before being released in the past few days. 

Attack on the Catholic community of Karku

Armed men abducted 11 people, including a priest, and killed three others in the Kajuru local government area. The Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan confirmed the abduction of a priest, Father Nathaniel Asuwaye, parish priest of Holy Trinity Church in Karku, in the Kajuru area. According to a statement from the archdiocese, the attack occurred around 3 a.m. on Saturday morning at his residence and also resulted in the deaths of three people, in what witnesses described as “an invasion by a group of terrorists.”

In response to the surge in violence—ranging from attacks by jihadist groups such as Boko Haram to raids by armed gangs—the federal government has deployed an army battalion to the Kaiama district on the orders of President Bola Tinubu. 

In addition to Nigeria, the Pope also prayed on Sunday for victims of human trafficking and for those affected by floods and landslides in Spain, Morocco, Portugal and Sicily.

Sunday Angelus with Pope Leo XIV 02.08.2026

 

Pope Leo at Sunday's Angelus  (@Vatican Media)

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• Angelus
• Pope Leo XIV
• Gospel

Pope at Angelus: God will never discard us

Reflecting on Jesus’ words after the Beatitudes, Pope Leo XIV highlights how encountering Jesus brings true joy, flavor, and light into daily life, and even when we feel downcast, God the Father “cares for our names and our uniqueness.”

By Kielce Gussie

In his Angelus address to the crowds in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV reflected on Jesus’ words after proclaiming the Beatitudes. In the Gospel, He does not simply list the eight Beatitudes, but rather afterwards “addresses those who put them into practice, saying that thanks to them the earth is no longer the same and the world is no longer in darkness.”

The Pope explained that true joy gives flavor and light to the dark parts of life. “This joy springs from a way of life, a way of inhabiting the earth and of living together that must be desired and chosen”, he noted. This new way of life shines in Jesus and his words and deeds.

Once a person meets Jesus who is poor in spirit, meek, simple of heart, and longing for justice, they cannot return to a life that is bland and dull. “Mercy and peace as powers of transformation and reconciliation” have been unlocked in this encounter.

A light in the darkness

In the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Pope Leo listed concrete ways of overcoming injustice—"sharing bread with the hungry, bringing the poor and homeless into our homes, clothing those we see to be naked, without neglecting our neighbors and those in our own homes.”

Having performed these actions, the prophet says, “then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily” (58:8). The Holy Father pointed out the two-sided depth of this phrase. On one hand, there is a light that cannot be hidden as it, like the sun, dispels the darkness; and on the other hand, a wound that was once burning is being healed.

He knows our names

“It is painful to lose flavor and give up joy,” Pope Leo noted, “yet it is possible to have this wound on one’s heart.” In the Gospel passage, Jesus appears to offer a warning to those listening to Him to not give up. He says that salt which has lost its flavor “is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot”.

How many people, the Holy Father pondered, “perhaps we ourselves—feel like they are worthless or broken. It is as if their light has been hidden.”

Yet, Jesus offers a proclamation of hope: God will never throw us away. He knows our names and cares for our uniqueness. “Every wound, even the deepest, will be healed by welcoming the word of the Beatitudes and setting us back on the path of the Gospel”, the Pope stressed.

Reigniting our joy

Concrete actions of openness and attention towards others will help reignite joy in life. Yet, he argued that in “their simplicity such gestures put us at odds with the world.” Jesus was tempted in the desert to take different paths and assert His identity. But He rejected the paths that would have led Him to “lose his true flavor, the one we find every Sunday in the Bread that is broken, which is a life given and a silent love.”

Closing, Pope Leo encouraged everyone to be “nourished and enlightened by communion with Jesus.” Without bragging, he explained “we will then be like a city set on a hill, not simply visible, but also inviting and welcoming: the city of God where everyone, deep down, desires to live and find peace.”

He urged everyone present in the Square to entrust their prayers to Mary, the Gate of Heaven, to help “become and remain disciples of her Son.”

Saint of the Day for Sunday

 

St. Josephine Bakhita

Feastday: February 8
Patron: of Sudan
Birth: 1869
Death: February 8, 1947
Beatified: May 17, 1992 by Pope John Paul II
Canonized: October 1, 2000 by Pope John Paul II

She told about how the general's wife ordered her to be scarred. As her mistress watched, ready with a whip, another woman drew patterns on her skin with flour, then cut into her flesh with a blade. She rubbed the wounds with salt to make the scars permanent. She would suffer a total of 114 scars from this abuse.

In 1883, the Turkish general sold her to the Italian Vice Consul, Callisto Legani. He was a much kinder master, and he did not beat her. When it was time for him to return to Italy, she begged to be taken with him, and he agreed.

After a long and dangerous journey across Sudan, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean, they arrived in Italy. She was given away to another family as a gift, and she served them as a nanny.

Her new family also had dealings in Sudan had when her mistress decided to travel to Sudan without Josephine, she placed her in the custody of the Canossian Sisters in Venice.

While she was in the custody of the sisters, she came to learn about God. According to Josephine, she had always known about God, who created all things, but she did not know who He was. The sisters answered her questions. She was deeply moved by her time with the sisters and discerned a call to follow Christ.

When her mistress returned from Sudan, Josephine refused to leave. Her mistress spent three days trying to persuade her to leave the sisters, but Josephine remained steadfast. This caused the superior of the institute for baptismal candidates among the sisters to complain to Italian authorities on Josephine's behalf.

The case went to court, and the court found that slavery had been outlawed in Sudan before Josephine was born, so she could not be lawfully made slave. She was declared free.

For the first time in her life, Josephine was free and could choose what to do with her life. She chose to remain with the Canossian Sisters.

She was baptized on January 9, 1890, and took the name Josephine Margaret and Fortunata. (Fortunata is the Latin translation for her Arabic name, Bakhita). She also received the sacraments of her first holy communion and confirmation on the same day. These three sacraments are the sacraments of initiation into the Church and were always given together in the early Church. The Archbishop who gave her the sacraments was none other than Giusseppe Sarto, the Cardinal Patriarch of Venice, who would later become Pope Pius X.

Josephine became a novice with the Canossian Daughters of Charity religious order on December 7, 1893, and took her final vows on December 8, 1896. She was eventually assigned to a convent in Schio, Vicenza.

For the next 42 years of her life, she worked as a cook and a doorkeeper at the convent. She also traveled and visited other convents telling her story to other sisters and preparing them for work in Africa.

She was known for her gentle voice and smile. She was gentle and charismatic and was often referred to lovingly as the "little brown sister" or honorably as the "black mother."

When speaking of her enslavement, she often professed she would thank her kidnappers. For had she not been kidnapped, she might never have come to know Jesus Christ and entered His Church.

During World War II, the people of the village of Schio regarded her as their protector. And although bombs fell on their village, not one citizen died.

In her later years, she began to suffer physical pain and was forced to use a wheelchair. But she always remained cheerful. If anyone asked her how she was, she would reply, "As the master desires."

On the evening of February 8, 1947, Josephine spoke her last words, "Our Lady, Our Lady!" She then died. Her body lay on display for three days afterwards.

In 1958, the process of canonization began for Josephine under Pope John XXIII. On December 1st, 1978, Pope John Paul II declared her venerable. Sadly, the news of her beatification in 1992 was censored in Sudan. But just nine months later, Pope John Paul II visited Sudan and honored her publicly. He canonized her on October 1, 2000.

Saint Josephine Bakhita is the patron saint of Sudan and her feast day is celebrated on February 8.

Pope Leo XIV appoints new Archbishop of Denver

 

Pope Leo appoints new Archbishop of Denver, Colorado, United States 

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• Pope Leo XIV
• United States
• bishops
• Appointments

Pope appoints James Golka as new Archbishop of Denver, Colorado

Pope Leo XIV accepts the resignation of Bishop Samuel Joseph Aquila and appoints James R. Golka as the new Archbishop of Denver, Colorado in the United States.

Vatican News

The Holy See Press Office has announced that Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of the U.S. Archbishop of Denver, Colorado, Samuel Joseph Aquila.

As his successor, Pope Leo appointed Bishop James R. Golka of Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.

Brief biography

Born in Grand Island, Nebraska in the United States on September 22, 1966, Golka earned a degree in Philosophy from the Creighton University. After completing his time at Saint Paul Seminary in Minnesota with a Master of Divinity, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1994.

He has held the following offices: Parish Vicar of Saint James in Kearney (1994-2000) and Holy Rosary in Alliance (2000-2001), Parish Priest of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Scottsbluff (2001-2006) and Saint Patrick in North Platte (2006-2016); Vicar General (2018-2021) and Rector of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (2016-2021).

He was appointed Bishop of Colorado Springs on April 30, 2021, and received episcopal consecration on June 29, 2021.

Ahead of World Day of the Sick, Pope Leo XIV releases his message for all who suffer

 

The Cathedral of Saint Mary, Mother of God, in Chiclayo, Peru, which will host celebrations for the 34th World Day of the Sick 

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• world day
• medicine & health
• the sick
• Peru
• message

Pope: May those who suffer find true peace in the charity of God

Pope Leo XIV sends a letter to Cardinal Michael Czerny, his special envoy for the 34th World Day of the Sick celebration on 11 February at the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace in Chiclayo, Peru. He invites the sick to offer their suffering to the Lord for world peace and to bear witness to faith, hope, and charity, together with those who care for them.

Vatican News

“In a special union of prayer with the Church spread throughout the world” for all the faithful who are ill and afflicted by sickness, disease, or pain, Pope Leo XIV prays that with the support of Mary’s maternal intercession, they may “kindly offer to the merciful God, through Mary, for the peace of this world, all the hardships of their lives.” He recalls that Saint Augustine, in his Confessions, rightly teaches that “the human soul is restless, and only in the ineffable charity of God, and in its application in daily and spiritual life, can it find true and lasting peace.”

The Pope's words came in a letter addressed to Cardinal Michael Czerny, his special envoy to celebrations for the 34th World Day of the Sick at the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace, in the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, on 11 February of this year.

The consolation of the Gospel

In the message dated 21 January, the Pope asks his envoy, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, to bring to the faithful gathered for the occasion—on the liturgical memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes—and in a special way to all the sick, “the comfort and encouragement of the consolation of the Gospel that comes from the ineffable communion with Christ, who promised to be with us in all circumstances, every day, until the end of the world.” The Pope exhorts the sick and those who care for them “to bear witness to the theological virtues—faith, hope, and charity—and to human and Christian closeness in times of need, bearing one another’s burdens and thus fulfilling the law of Christ from the depths of the heart.”

Remembering the "beloved land of Peru"

The letter also recalls memories “with all the affection of heart and mind” of the “beloved land of Peru” and of the Diocese of Chiclayo, where twelve years ago Fr. Robert Francis Prevost was ordained a bishop in the Cathedral dedicated to Saint Mary, Mother of God.

In conclusion, the Pope emphasized that by divine providence Pope Francis wished that the 34th World Day of the Sick “be celebrated precisely in this land of Peru, to express with ever greater intensity the maternal solicitude of the Blessed Virgin Mary toward all those who are afflicted by various sufferings and illnesses.” This decision was confirmed by Leo XIV, who recalls that in the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace in Chiclayo he had, in the past, “on several occasions invoked in prayer the help of God.”

This Saturday Saint was Pope of Vatican I and defined the Immaculate Conception

 

Bl. Pius IX

Feastday: February 7
Birth: 1792
Death: 1878
Beatified: Pope John Paul II

Blessed Pope Pius IX (13 May 1792, Senigallia – 7 February 1878), born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal infallibility. The Pope defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, meaning that Mary was conceived without original sin. Pius IX also granted the Marian title of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, a famous Byzantine icon from Crete entrusted to the Redemptorist priests. In addition to this, Pius IX was also the last Pope to rule as the Sovereign of the Papal States, which fell completely to Italian nationalist armies by 1870 and were incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy. He was beatified in 2000.

Pope Leo XIV extends greeting & blessings as the Winter Olympics begins in Milan Italy

 

Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics 

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• sport
• Pope Leo XIV
• message
• Italy

Pope: Sport is important for humanity, respect Olympic truce

Ahead of the opening ceremony of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games in northern Italy, Pope Leo XIV issues the letter 'Life in Abundance' on the value of sport.

Read also

01/02/2026

Pope appeals for Olympic truce ahead of 2026 Winter Games

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Hours ahead of the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina Winter Games, the Vatican released Pope Leo XIV’s letter, Life in Abundance, on the value of sport.

READ THE FULL TEXT OF POPE LEO'S LETTER ON SPORT HERE

The Pope begins the letter by expressing that on the occasion of the XXV Winter Olympic Games, 6–22 February, and the XIV Paralympic Games, 6–15 March, he wished to greet and extend his good wishes to those directly involved, while also offering everyone a reflection.

In the text, the Holy Father praises sport and reflects on the many ways it fosters human fraternity and helps individuals pursue what is good and holy.

Pope Leo recalls that during past Olympic Games, his predecessors emphasized the important role sport can play for the good of humanity, particularly in promoting peace.

He reiterates his appreciation that the Olympic Truce has been proposed again in recent years by the International Olympic Committee and the United Nations General Assembly.

Sport as instrument of peace

“In a world thirsting for peace," Pope Leo says, "we need tools that can put an ‘end to the abuse of power, displays of force and indifference to the rule of law.’" Decrying that before our eyes is a culture of death, he insists "that aggression, violence and war are always a defeat for humanity.”

"On the occasion of the upcoming Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games," the Pope reaffirms, "I wholeheartedly encourage all nations to rediscover and respect this instrument of hope that is the Olympic Truce, a symbol and promise of a reconciled world.”

Church called to offer pastoral care

Reflecting on sport, the Pope also reminds the Church to be pastorally present in the realm of sport and to offer accompaniment, discernment, and hope, citing Athletica Vaticana, created in 2018 as the official team of the Holy See and under the guidance of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, as an initiative which bears witness to "how sport can also be experienced as an ecclesial service."

“In this way," he encourages, "sport can truly become a school of life, where all can learn that abundance does not come from victory at any cost, but from sharing, from respecting others, and from the joy of walking together.”

Sport serves common good and personal development

“The Church," the Pope observes, "is called to be close to the world of sport when it is played professionally, as elite competition, or as an opportunity for success or media exposure, but also through particular concern for grassroots sport, which often lacks resources but is rich in relationships.”

In the reflection, Pope Leo invites the Church to be concretely present and to offer accompaniment, discernment, and hope. In this way, he says, sport can truly become a school of life, teaching that abundance does not come from victory at any cost, but from sharing, respecting others, and the joy of journeying together.

He also calls "for liberating sport from reductive mentalities that would transform it into mere spectacle or product."

Throughout the letter, Pope Leo warns against the exploitation of sport for political or financial gain, urging instead that it remain faithful to its mission of serving personal development and the common good.