Saints for Thursday: The parents of St. John the Baptist

 Feast day: November 5

Saints Zechariah & Elizabeth

— · 1st century BC

Patron of Married couples, the childless

The elderly priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, cousin of Mary, who in their old age became the parents of John the Baptist after an angel's promise and Zechariah's spell of silence.

Zechariah and Elizabeth are the parents of St. John the Baptist, and their story opens the Gospel of Luke. Zechariah was a priest of the Temple in Jerusalem, and Elizabeth, a kinswoman of the Virgin Mary, was descended from the priestly line of Aaron. The Gospel describes them both as 'righteous before God,' faithfully keeping all the commandments.

Their one sorrow was that they had no child, and they had grown old. Then, as Zechariah served his turn offering incense in the Temple, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and announced that Elizabeth would bear a son who would go before the Lord 'in the spirit and power of Elijah.' Zechariah, doubting because of their age, was struck dumb until the promise should be fulfilled.

Elizabeth conceived, and when Mary — herself newly told that she would bear the Messiah — came to visit her, the unborn John 'leapt for joy' in his mother's womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, greeted Mary as 'the mother of my Lord' — words the Church still prays in the Hail Mary. At the child's birth and naming, Zechariah's speech returned, and he broke into the great canticle of praise, the 'Benedictus,' sung by the Church every morning.

Honored together as a holy and faithful couple whose patient hope was at last rewarded, Zechariah and Elizabeth are patrons of married couples and of those who long, against hope, for a child.

Told he would have a son in old age, Zechariah doubted and was struck mute — and sang for joy only when, at the baby's naming, he wrote 'His name is John.'

Image: Jusepe de Ribera (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons.

Source: newadvent.org/cathen/08486b.htm

A tidbit from last night's election result: Virginia voters approve measure to establish a constitutional right to abortion. May God forgive us.

 

Virginia adopts abortion rights referendum

A referendum to establish a constitutional right to abortion in the Virginia Constitution was adopted.

Voters walk to a polling station in Arlington, Virginia, on Election Day, Nov. 3, 2026. | Credit: Finn Gomez/Getty Images

November 3, 2026

By Tyler Arnold

Voters in Virginia adopted a referendum to enshrine a right to abortion in their state constitution, while voters in Missouri, Nevada, and Idaho await the final results for referendums that would change abortion policies.

With more than 87% of the vote counted in Virginia as of 11 p.m. ET, 61.5% of people voted for the referendum and 38.5% voted against it.

The people of Missouri are voting on a pro-life referendum to repeal a state constitutional right to abortion. The outcome is too early to call with more than 85% of the vote counted, but the referendum is currently losing, with 55.5% of people voting against it and 44.5% in favor.

Votes have yet to be counted in Nevada or Idaho, where polls closed later.

Catholic bishops in all four states were heavily involved throughout the races, emphasizing the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of life and asking the faithful to cast pro-life votes on the state referendums.

The state referendums

The referendum in Virginia will establish a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom” in the state constitution, which includes “abortion care.” The amendment extends this right to “every individual,” rather than restricting it to just adults.

Although the amendment allows abortion restrictions in the third trimester, it does not allow any restrictions when necessary to protect “the life or physical or mental health” of the mother at any point in the pregnancy. It does not define what constitutes a threat to one’s “mental health” but rather leaves this up to the discretion of the treating physician, who is often the abortionist.

The referendum in Missouri would repeal the state constitutional right to abortion and it would allow state lawmakers to restrict abortion. If it fails, the constitution will continue to maintain a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom," which includes “abortion care.”

Missouri’s constitution allows lawmakers to restrict abortions after fetal viability, which is when the unborn child can survive outside the womb. However, lawmakers cannot restrict abortion at any point in the pregnancy when necessary to “protect the life or physical or mental health” of the mother. Fetal viability and whether the mother’s health is at risk is determined by the treating physician, who is often the abortionist.

The referendum in Nevada, if it passes, would establish “a fundamental right to abortion” in the state constitution. It would allow lawmakers to impose restrictions after the point of fetal viability, which are determined by the “treating health care practitioner,” which is often the abortionist.

The right would extend through the entire pregnancy when needed to “protect the life or health” of the mother, but “health” is not defined. The right would extend to all individuals, not just adults.

Idaho’s referendum would not amend the state constitution, but it would change state law to establish a right to “reproductive freedom,” which includes “abortion.” It would supersede the current state law, which prohibits abortion except to prevent the death of the mother and, in the first trimester, in reported cases of rape or incest.

The referendum would allow lawmakers to restrict abortion at the point of fetal viability, but this would be determined by the treating physician, who is often the abortionist. It would not allow lawmakers to restrict abortion at any point in the pregnancy when there is a medical emergency. The right would be extended to all individuals, not just adults.

Pope Leo XIV asks for prayers for his upcoming Apostolic Journey to South America

 

Pope Leo XIV at General Audience (VATICAN MEDIA)

Pope

• general audience
• Pope Leo XIV
• saints and blessed

Pope Leo XIV invites the faithful to pray for Apostolic Journey to Latin America

During his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Leo asks for prayers for his imminent Apostolic Journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, and recalls two upcoming beatification celebrations as well as the liturgical memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, a saint who he said teaches us how to be led by Christ in our daily lives.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"The day after tomorrow, I will begin my Apostolic Journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. I ask you to accompany me with your prayers, that the Lord may bless this mission in these countries, which are so dear to me."

Pope Leo XIV offered this invitation on Wednesday morning toward the conclusion of his General Audience during his remarks to Italian-speaking pilgrims.

He also expressed his hope that the Journey "may strengthen faith, renew hope, rekindle the fire of charity, and encourage us to continue proclaiming the Gospel with joy."

New Blesseds epitomize friendship with the Lord and sacrifice

In his comments, the Pope also recalled that two beatification celebrations will take place on Saturday.

In Antigua, Guatemala, Servant of God Augusto Rafael Ramírez Monasterio, a priest of the Order of Friars Minor who was killed in hatred of the faith in 1983, will be beatified.

Meanwhile, in Santander, Spain, Servants of God Francesco González de Córdova, a diocesan priest; and 79 companions, including priests, seminarians and laypeople, will be beatified.

"During the Spanish persecution of the last century," the Pope underlined, "they did not hesitate to shed their blood out of love for Christ."

"These new Blesseds," the Holy Father underscored, "make visible yet another part of the ‘great multitude’ of the Lord's friends."

Saint Charles Borromeo teaches us to be led by Christ in daily life

Finally, the Pope greeted young people, the sick, and newlyweds.

"Today," the Pope recalled, "we celebrate the liturgical memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, the distinguished Bishop of the Diocese of Milan, who, animated by an ardent love for the Lord, was a teacher and guide to his brothers and sisters."

"Following his example," Pope Leo said, "allow yourselves to be led by Christ in your daily lives."

Pope Leo & the Wednesday General Audience 11.04.2026

 

Pope Leo XIV during the General Audience (VATICAN MEDIA)

Pope

• general audience
• Pope Leo XIV
• Second Vatican Council

Pope at Audience: Politics that tends wounds and fights injustice gives hope

During the Wednesday General Audience, Pope Leo XIV focuses on how Christians can engage in economic and political life in order to build peace, as he continues his reflection on the 1965 Pastoral Constitution 'Gaudium et Spes.'

By Isabella H. de Carvalho

Engaging in economic and political life in accordance to Christian faith and the Social Doctrine of the Church can be a way to build peace, Pope Leo XIV said during the Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter’s Square on November 4, 2026.

“Politics that tends to the wounds of peoples and of those who suffer injustice offers grounds for hope for the future of humanity,” the Pope highlighted.

“As Pope Francis recalled, ‘war is a failure of politics and of humanity, a shameful capitulation, a stinging defeat before the forces of evil.’”

Pope Leo continued the catechesis cycle on the Documents of the Second Vatican Council and meditated on the 1965 Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes (meaning “joy and hope”) on the Church in the modern world.

Reflecting on Chapters III and IV of Part II of the Document, which focus on economic and social life and the political community, Pope Leo offered various “criteria for discernment” that can help Christians be engaged in these fields in a way that manifests the Catholic faith.

He also encouraged young people to follow the example of men and women “who have borne faithful witness in these fields” and urged Christian communities to form people in the Social Doctrine of the Church.

Pope Leo XIV during the General Audience (VATICAN MEDIA)

Commitment to eliminating discrimination

Looking at economic life, the Pope highlighted how the Council Fathers noted that the threat to world peace comes from imbalances linked to an economic development that is not equitable or respectful of creation, and this is even more the case today.

Gaudium et Spes warned that “technical progress alone is not enough,” and instead proposed the “Christian vision of economic development,” meaning to always “be at the service of humankind and under human control.”

“More relevant than ever are the appeals to commit to eliminating discrimination against the most vulnerable social groups and migrants,” the Pope continued, underlining the importance of this text.

Working conditions that endanger health and life are unacceptable

Pope Leo also reflected on work, which is at the heart of the economy and helps people participate in social life.

“Work must never be distorted to the detriment of people, the common good or creation,” he stressed.

“The real challenge," he said, "is to offer everyone opportunities to make the most of their abilities: unemployment, exploitation and working conditions that endanger health and life itself are unacceptable.”

The Pope also underscored how workers have the right and duty to participate and discuss decisions concerning them, including through trade unions.

Pope Leo blesses a baby during the General Audience (VATICAN MEDIA)

The universal destination of earthly goods

The Pope then recalled how the Council applies one of the fundamental principles of social teaching, the universal destination of earthly goods, to the financial sphere.

Gaudium et Spes explains that whoever makes decisions concerning investments or planning the economy, needs to ensure that individuals and communities can live a decent life and also that there is a balance between present-day consumption needs and the demands of the next generations.

Political community exists for common good

Turning instead to the political community, the Pope noted how Gaudium et Spes points to “several positive developments in the contemporary era,” such as a deeper understanding of the importance of human dignity, which has led to trying to create a “a politico-juridical order” that gives priority to protecting human rights.

“The political community exists for the sake of the common good,” the Pope insisted. It must be “structured and operate according to local and historical circumstances, but always with the good of the entire human family at heart.”

The Church and the political community can work together

In this regard, he underlined how the Church and political community are “autonomous and independent from each other,” but they “both, under different titles, are devoted to the personal and social vocation of the same men.”

“The more that both foster sounder cooperation between themselves with due consideration for the circumstances of time and place, the more effective will their service be exercised for the good of all,” the Pope urged.

Looking ahead to the South American Journey of Pope Leo XIV

 

Pope Leo’s South American tour raises hopes across Uruguay, Argentina and Peru

by Eduardo Campos LimaNovember 2, 2026

Teachers and students at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Sep. 5, 2026. (Credit: Matilde Campodonico/AP.)

SÃO PAULO, Brazil – Pope Leo XIV’s South American tour, confirmed by the Vatican on Oct. 26 after his lung cancer surgery, is eagerly anticipated by Catholics across South America, especially those who knew then-Bishop Robert Prevost during his years in the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru.

The pontiff, who had the lower lobe of his right lung removed on Oct. 13 and has been recovering well since, will arrive in Montevideo, Uruguay, on the afternoon of Nov. 6, depart for Argentina on Nov. 8, and travel to Peru on Nov. 11. He will leave South America on Nov. 16 and return to Rome on Nov. 17.

The last time a pope visited Uruguay was nearly 40 years ago. In May 1988, Pope Saint John Paul II spent four days in the country, following a visit in March 1987. Since then, the share of Uruguayan Catholics has fallen from 60 percent in 1997 to just 33 percent today. More than 28 percent of the population now identifies as agnostic or atheist.

“The pope’s visit has been generating interest among Uruguayans. We hope it will represent a kind of springtime for the Church, bringing back people who have drifted away and renewing our missionary energy,” Bishop Milton Tróccoli of Maldonado-Punta del Este-Minas, who also serves as president of the Uruguayan Bishops’ Conference, told Crux Now.

The Uruguayan leg of the trip was planned by the Church to allow as many people as possible to participate. It will begin in the capital, Montevideo – home to half of the country’s population – where the pope will be welcomed in a central square shortly after his arrival and will meet with President Yamandú Orsi and other government officials.

That evening, he will celebrate Vespers with priests and men and women religious, delivering a homily.

“The following morning, the pope will travel to Paysandú, a city in northern Uruguay, where he will celebrate Mass. The city was selected because of its central location for people living north of the Río Negro,” Tróccoli explained.

In the afternoon, he will return to Montevideo, where he will visit the Casavalle neighborhood, a poor district where the Church has maintained 25 social programs over the past five decades.

“He will have an opportunity to meet vulnerable people and learn firsthand about the Church’s missionary work,” Tróccoli said.

Afterward, Pope Leo XIV will meet with Catholic school principals and teachers at the Catholic University of Uruguay and lead a prayer vigil at a stadium in Montevideo.

“His final event will be a Mass in Florida, where Uruguayans will celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Thirty-Three, the country’s patroness. After that, he will travel to Buenos Aires,” Tróccoli explained.

In Argentina, the pontiff will meet large crowds who have eagerly awaited a papal visit for years. Argentines, of course, had hoped that Pope Francis, their fellow countryman, would be the one to return – but Jorge Bergoglio never visited his homeland again after being elected pope in 2013.

Pope Leo XIV’s schedule includes religious celebrations and visits to places where he will learn about the hardships faced by vulnerable Argentines, exacerbated by the economic crisis the country has endured over the past several years.

“The bishops and the Holy See agreed on the selection of the most suitable locations, with input from the federal government regarding security arrangements,” Father Maximo Jurcinovic, head of the press office of the Argentine Bishops’ Conference, told Crux Now.

He said that the “pastoral agenda was designed to give ample space to the different realities of the Church in Argentina and throughout the country.”

The Argentine leg will begin at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 8, when the pontiff arrives in Buenos Aires. He will meet with President Javier Milei and other government officials at the Casa Rosada presidential palace after visiting the Independence Monument and attending an official welcome ceremony.

The following morning, Leo will visit Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione, a Church-run home for people with disabilities in the city of Claypole, in Buenos Aires province. Its 400 residents receive not only therapeutic assistance but also educational opportunities and training to develop new skills.

Before lunch, the pontiff will celebrate Mass in Buenos Aires. In the afternoon, he will meet with labor union leaders and social movement organizers at the Catholic University of Argentina. Later, Leo will meet with leaders of Christian communities and celebrate Vespers with the country’s bishops.

The following morning, the pope will travel north to Córdoba, where he will celebrate Mass at 10 a.m. In the afternoon, he will meet with priests, men and women religious, and seminarians. He will then return to Buenos Aires to meet with young people that evening.

On his final day in Argentina, Leo will visit the Buenos Aires Federal Penitentiary Complex at 8 a.m. and then travel to Luján, where he will celebrate Mass at 10 a.m. at the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján, Argentina’s patroness. At 2 p.m., he will depart for Lima.

The Peruvian leg, the tour’s final and longest stage, will be particularly significant. The pope lived in Peru for nearly 20 years, beginning in the 1980s, and acquired Peruvian citizenship upon becoming Bishop of Chiclayo, a position he held for eight years.

“Leo will meet with his beloved Peruvian people, especially those living in his former Diocese of Chiclayo. He will also visit Lima, Callao, Cusco, and Pucallpa,” Father Juan Bytton, secretary-general of the committee organizing the pope’s visit to Peru, told Crux Now.

Leo will arrive in Callao at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 11 and meet with President Keiko Fujimori and other government officials. He will also deliver a speech at Lima’s Gran Teatro Nacional. The following morning, he will meet with the Peruvian bishops and then address the challenges facing the country’s people at a gathering in the square in front of the cathedral.

In the afternoon, he will meet with young people at the National Stadium.

“That will be a remarkable moment, because young people are our hope for a better future, and the pope has always had a special relationship with them,” Bytton said.

On Nov. 13, the pontiff will travel to Chiclayo, where he will celebrate Mass at 10:30 a.m. He will then make a private visit to the San Oscar Romero Chapel and meet with clergy and missionaries in the afternoon. At 5:45 p.m., Leo will meet with university students and professors at the Catholic University of Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo.

“Of course, he will also see old friends, priests, and pastoral agents. It will be an opportunity for him to rest among people he knows well,” Bytton said.

The following day, the pope will preside over the coronation of the image of the Immaculate Virgin at St. Mary’s Cathedral. He will then take a helicopter to the town of Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, where he will celebrate Mass at 11 a.m. Later, he will travel to the Shrine of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo in the district of Zaña.

The following morning, Leo will travel to Cusco. At 10:30 a.m., he will meet with Catholics at the archaeological site of Saqsaywaman and pray the Angelus in front of the local basilica. At 1:05 p.m., he will fly to Pucallpa, in the Peruvian Amazon.

At 3 p.m., he will meet with clergy and leaders of Amazonian communities – 21 groups will be represented, according to Bytton – and deliver a speech. Later, he will celebrate Mass, “the very first Mass of the current pope in the Amazon – a land so ravaged by illegal mining and other evils –, a sign of his care for our common home,” Bytton said.

At 8 p.m., he will return to Callao. On the final day of the trip, Leo will visit a home run by nuns in Callao that houses 60 elderly people. Before heading to Callao Air Base for a farewell ceremony, he will celebrate Mass at Las Palmas Air Base in Lima.

“That celebration will be an opportunity for us to bring these days of grace, hope and love to a close. This visit will inspire us to promote justice and uphold human dignity,” Bytton said.

Leo will depart for Rome at 1:45 p.m, from Callao.

Bytton hopes the pontiff’s trip to Peru “will represent a turning point, allowing us all to be reborn in this new Pentecost of a synodal Church.”

Last week, the Vatican confirmed Pope Leo will have “several meetings” with victims of clergy abuse during the trip, after Peru’s survivors’ network said the schedule had left them out.

Saint of the Day for Wednesday

 

St. Charles Borromeo

Feast Day: November 4
Patron: of bishops, catechists, cardinals, seminarians, spiritual leaders
Birth: October 2, 1538
Death: November 3, 1584
Beatified: May 12, 1602, by Pope Paul V
Canonized: November 1, 1610, by Pope Paul V

Saint Charles Borromeo was born on October 2, 1538, at the castle of Arona on Lake Maggiore near Milan. His father was the Count of Arona and his mother a member of the House of Medici. He was the third of six children born to the couple.

At the age of 12, the young Count Charles Borromeo dedicated himself to a life of service to the Church. His uncle gave to him the family income from the Benedictine abbey of Saints Gratinian and Felinus. Even as a youth, his integrity was obvious. He was explicit in telling his father that he could only keep the money required for his education and to prepare him for service to the Church. All other funds belonged to the poor of the Church and were to be passed along to them.

The young count suffered from a speech impediment that made him appear slow to those who did not know him. Despite this challenge, he performed well and impressed his teachers. He attended the University of Pavia and learned Latin. He was praised because he was hardworking and thorough.

In 1554 his father passed away and although Charles was a teenager, responsibility for his household fell to him. Charles continued in his studies and earned a doctorate in canon and civil law.

His responsibility for his household resulted in financial difficulties, and Charles earned a reputation for being short of funds.

Life sped up for the young count after his uncle, Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Medici became Pope Pius IV on December 25, 1559. The new pope asked his nephew to come to Rome and appointed him as a cardinal-deacon. With the rank came the job of assisting and advising his uncle full-time. A month later, Pope Pius IV made his nephew a cardinal.

With the new rank came even more duties including the government of the Papal States, the supervision of the Knights of Malta, the Franciscans, and the Carmelites. He was only 23 years old.

The young Borromeo used his leadership role in the Vatican to promote learning, and he established a literary academy. He wrote of some of the lessons and lectures in the book, Noctes Vaticanae.

Borromeo was appointed administrator of the Archdiocese of Milan in 1560. Since he would become the ecclesiastical administrator of Milan, he decided that the Lord was calling him to the priesthood.

In 1561, he founded a college at Pavia dedicated to St. Justina of Padua.

In 1562 his brother died and his family urged him to leave the service of the church to preserve the family name. However, Borromeo refused. He became more insistent upon becoming a good bishop and in compelling others to lead exemplary lives of clerical service.

Borromeo was ordained first to the order of deacon. Then, he was ordained to the holy priesthood on September 4, 1563. Then, he was ordained as a bishop on December 7, 1563. He became Archbishop of Milan on May 12, 1564.

In 1566, Archbishop Borromeo’s benefactor and uncle, Pope Pius IV died. Borromeo had already developed a reputation as a young, idealistic reformer in Rome, and he continued that mission in Milan. Milan was the largest diocese in the Catholic Church at the time and corruption was rampant.

The driving out of corruption was a critical matter during Borromeo’s time. The Protestant Reformation was spreading throughout northern Europe and constantly threatened to move south. The greatest defense against Protestant doctrinal errors and claims against the hierarchy of the Catholic Church was reform and the restoration of integrity to the Catholic Church. Archbishop Borromeo saw this clearly and he made this his mission.

His strategy was to provide education to many clergy he saw as ignorant. He founded schools and seminaries and colleges for clergy.

He also ended the selling of indulgences, a form of simony (Catholic Catechism #2120 and ordered monasteries to reform themselves. He made a lot of visits to various locations to inspect for himself. He ordered the simplification of church interiors, which was a major point of contention between some Catholics and Protestants. The complex and busy interiors were claimed to be a distraction from the worship of God. This danger was acknowledged during the Council of Trent which Archbishop Borromeo enforced. Even tombs belonging to his own relatives were cleared of inappropriate ornaments and embellishments.

His work of cleaning up the Church also made him enemies. On one occasion a member of a small, decrepit order known as the “Humiliati” attempted to assassinate him with a pistol but missed.

Many of his subordinates and secular officials complained about the Archbishop throughout his career. However, the existence of these enemies only emboldened Borromeo and served as confirmation that his efforts to eradicate corruption were working.

In 1576 a famine struck Milan followed by the plague, and many of the wealthy and powerful fled the city. Archbishop Borromeo remained. He used his own fortune to feed the starving people. When that money was spent, he took loans and went deep into debt. He may have fed 70,000 people per day. Eventually, the Archbishop convinced the local governor to return to his post and care for the people.

In 1583, Archbishop Borromeo traveled to Switzerland and began work suppressing heresy there. Protestant heresies, along with witchcraft and sorcery had been widely reported. He founded the Collegium Helveticum to serve and educate Swiss Catholics.

Eventually, the Archbishop’s life of work and toil began to take its toll. In 1584, he became ill with a fever. He returned to Milan where his conditioned worsened. When it became obvious, he would die, he was given his last Sacraments. He died on November 3, at the age of 46.

He was beatified on May 12, 1602, by Pope Paul V. He was subsequently canonized by Pope Paul V on November 1, 1610.

St. Charles Borromeo’s feast day is celebrated on November 4. He is the patron of bishops, catechists, Lombardy, Italy, Monterey, California, cardinals, seminarians, spiritual leaders, and Sao Carlos in Brazil.

St. Charles Borromeo has a beautiful shrine in the Milan Cathedral and is often depicted in art wearing his robes, barefoot, carrying the cross with a rope around his neck and his arm raised in blessing.

Pope Leo XIV releases letter of thanksgiving to the Bishops of France for his "unforgettable" Visit

 

Pope Leo XIV met with the French Bishops in Lourdes on September 27, 2026 (VATICAN MEDIA)

Pope

• Pope Leo XIV
• apostolic journey
• France
• abuse

Pope Leo thanks French Bishops for ‘unforgettable’ visit

In a letter to the Bishops of France, Pope Leo XIV expresses appreciation for his Apostolic Journey and urges the Church to support young people and victims of abuse.

By Olivier Bonnel

As France’s Bishops began their autumn plenary assembly in Lourdes on Tuesday, November 3, Pope Leo XIV thanked them for helping make his recent Apostolic Journey “an unforgettable experience.”

In a letter dated November 1, the Pope invited the Bishops to reflect on the pastoral fruits of his visit.

The assembly opened with an address by Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille and President of the French Bishops’ Conference, followed by the reading of the Pope’s letter.

“A little more than a month after my Apostolic Journey to France, I wish to express once again my gratitude for the remarkable organization of my visit,” Pope Leo wrote. “Bishops and faithful, as well as civil and religious authorities and believers and nonbelievers alike, all put their skills to use to make those days an unforgettable experience.”

Education and the common good

The Bishops are meeting in the same auditorium in Lourdes where they welcomed the Bishop of Rome on September 27. In his letter, Pope Leo addressed the themes on their agenda, beginning with education.

“Respect for everyone’s freedom of conscience holds the promise of great fruitfulness for society and for the Church herself,” the Pope explained, recalling a passage from his address. “Nevertheless, Catholic education cannot abandon its Christ-centered educational mission, which seeks the integral development of the human person in every dimension: spiritual, cultural, intellectual, moral, and social.”

Reflecting on the challenges he witnessed firsthand during his visit to France, Pope Leo recalled the need to form men and women in the values of the Gospel, “mindful of respect for the common good,” whom society needs “to confront the crises tearing it apart.”

“It is important to listen to younger generations, including their sense of unease, and to encourage them, through sound formation, to make a sincere commitment, including in politics,” he wrote.

His appeal comes as many young people, including high school and university students, have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest, in particular, their lack of prospects for the future.

Following in the footsteps of the saints

Echoing his words at the vigil with young people at the Stade de France on September 25, the Pope urged the French Bishops to follow in the footsteps of the saints, “those witnesses who have marked the history of France,” and to “allow yourselves to be shaped by their teachings.”

“Knowledge of the saints of yesterday and today is a source of strength for the spiritual life,” he stressed.

“Do not hesitate to familiarize your faithful, especially catechumens and neophytes, with these friends in heaven,” the Pope urged.

Through the diversity of their backgrounds and their witness, these figures “make holiness accessible to everyone.”

Supporting victims of abuse

The final part of the letter focused on supporting victims of sexual abuse in the Church, whom Pope Leo took time to meet on the afternoon of September 26 during his Apostolic Visit to France.

The tragedy of abuse remains one of the issues being addressed at the Bishops’ plenary assembly.

“Because holiness entails charity in truth, I encourage you, guided by these two virtues, to continue your work of accompanying victims of sexual violence and coercive control. It is essential that the community of the faithful become ever more a place where men and women of all ages can find comfort and healing,” the Pope wrote.

He entrusted the Bishops’ work to the care of Our Lady of Lourdes: “May she accompany your pastoral mission among your diocesan communities, so that holiness may continue to blossom and flourish in France.”