After Angelus Address, Pope Leo shares his concerns, thoughts and prayer requests

 

Pope Leo during the Sunday Angelus at the Vatican  (@Vatican Media)

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• Pope Leo XIV
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Pope Leo: 'I follow with concern the alarming situation in Ceuta'

After leading the recitation of the midday Angelus prayer on Sunday in the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV expresses concern over the serious migration crisis unfolding in the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta. He prays for an end to wars across the globe and recalls the spiritual gift of the Pardon of Assisi that can be obtained this weekend.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

“I follow with concern the alarming situation in Ceuta, asking God, through the intercession of Our Lady of Africa, that solutions of peace, stability, and justice may be found.”

Pope Leo XIV made this appeal in Spanish following the recitation of the Angelus prayer on Sunday in the Vatican.

The Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta, located on the northern coast of Africa and bordering Morocco, is facing a major migration emergency.

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In recent days, tens of thousands of people have attempted to enter the territory from Morocco, overwhelming reception facilities and prompting Spain to deploy additional security forces.

Amid the crisis and the dangerous attempts to cross by sea at least 67 lives have been lost. According to Reuters, most of the victims drowned at sea or were killed in crushes during the chaotic crossings.

A prayer for wars to cease

The Pope then turned his thoughts to all those suffering because of war.

“Let us continue to pray for peace, that wars may cease throughout the world and that diplomatic solutions to conflicts may be found,” he said.

In a special way, he remembered victims of hostilities, especially “the weakest and most defenseless,” as he prayed for children, the elderly, and the sick.

Pope Leo prayed that the Lord would “comfort those who suffer and bless the work of all those who bring help and consolation.”

The Pardon of Assisi

Finally, the Pope also recalled celebration this weekend of the Pardon of Assisi, inviting the faithful to give thanks for this great spiritual gift and to cherish it.

The Pardon of Assisi is a plenary indulgence traditionally associated with St. Francis of Assisi that may be obtained by partaking of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist and visiting a parish or Franciscan church, reciting the Creed, the Lord’s prayer and praying for the Pope and his intentions.

The “Pardon of Assisi” dates back to 1216, when Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and angels appeared before St. Francis, in the tiny Porziuncula, the chapel Francis had built in the Italian town of Assisi.

When Jesus asked him what he desired for the salvation of souls, St. Francis asked for God to grant a plenary indulgence for all those who enter the chapel.

Later, the indulgence was extended to anyone who visits a parish or Franciscan church on August 1st or 2nd.

Today's Sunday Angelus with Pope Leo XIV 08.02.2026

 

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• Pope Leo XIV
• Angelus
• jesus
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Pope at Angelus: Christ truly satisfies humanity's hunger

During his Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo XIV reflects on the miracle of the loaves and the fishes and reminds the faithful that encountering Christ is a nourishing experience.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Christ truly satisfies humanity’s hunger, Pope Leo XIV told the faithful during his midday Angelus address on Sunday.

Reflecting on the day's Gospel according to St. Matthew on the miracle of the loaves and the fishes, the Pope noted that Jesus not only restores the senses of those who lack them, but also nourishes humanity with His abundant gifts.

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Pope Leo: 'I follow with concern the alarming situation in Ceuta'

In the Gospel passage, St. Matthew tells how Jesus, moved with compassion for the crowd, miraculously feeds more than five thousand people with five loaves and two fishes.

The Pope recalled that Jesus performed signs, acts that reveal His special love for us and the salvation He brings to the world, including restoring sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf.

In doing so, Christ, the Pope observed, is doing more than merely performing miraculous deeds, but proclaiming to all that the Kingdom of God is near.

Read the full text of the Pope's Angelus address

Encounter with the Lord is a 'nourishing' experience

The Pope reminded the faithful that the account of the multiplication of the loaves not only shows Jesus feeding those who are hungry, but reveals that an encounter with the Lord is itself a nourishing experience.

As he spoke on the episode in which all ate their fill and there were even twelve baskets left over, the Holy Father stressed that with Christ our needs are abundantly met.

Insisting that the Lord's providential care for us never fails, he reiterated that "Christ truly satisfies humanity's hunger, our hunger for truth and life." 

The 'spiritual sickness' of greed

Pope Leo also warned against the evil of greed, often manifested in hoarding and waste.

"This spiritual sickness," he lamented, "numbs the senses, which become intoxicated with wealth, to the point of making people forget those who weep from hunger and cry out from thirst."

"Faced with the deserts of war and arrogance," the Pope urged, "let us consider with what kindness the Lord looked up to heaven, blessed, broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples, so that they might distribute them to the crowd."

Growing in charity with the grace of the Eucharist

In this miracle of charity, the Pope said, we recognize the characteristic actions of Jesus, which reach their culmination in the Last Supper, when the Lord gave us His very life as our brother.

Thus, Pope Leo invited the faithful, when they savor the grace of the Eucharist, to bear witness to its beauty through their daily actions, beginning with blessing meals shared with family and friends.

In Jesus' company, he suggested, even vacations can become occasions of fraternal serenity if we reach out to neighbors in need.

Finally, Pope Leo concluded by imploring the Virgin Mary, our loving Mother, to help us grow in charity so that no one may lack their "daily bread."

Saint of the Day for Sunday; Apostle of the Eucharist

 

St. Peter Julian Eymard, an Apostle of the Eucharist

Saint Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868) was a French Catholic priest and a prominent figure in the 19th century Catholic Church. Known for his deep devotion to the Eucharist and his efforts in promoting Eucharistic adoration, he established the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament.

“St. Peter Julian Eymard,” 1927, Chiesa di Santa Maria di Piazza, Turin, Italy

His Vocation

Born in La Mure, France, on February 4, 1811, Eymard grew up in a devout Catholic family. He was ordained as a priest in 1834 and dedicated himself to the service of God and the Church. Initially, he was a parish priest known for his fervent preaching and commitment to the spiritual formation of his congregation.

However, Eymard felt called to a more contemplative and focused mission on the Eucharist. He discovered the love of God manifested in the Eucharist has the power to transform the world and satisfy the hungers of the human family. From his personal experience of this love of God in the Eucharist, he desired to share it with others.

He became a key figure in the Eucharistic revival movement in France, seeking to rekindle love and reverence for the Blessed Sacrament.

His Sainthood

In 1856, he founded the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, a religious order dedicated to adoration of the Eucharist and evangelization centered around it. The congregation’s mission was to promote Eucharistic devotion, organize perpetual adoration, and educate others about the significance of the Eucharist in the life of the Church.

St. Eymard’s mortal remains at the Corpus Christi Chapel | photo from Eymardian Places

In 1962, Eymard was canonized as a saint by Pope John XXIII, and his feast day is celebrated on August 2nd. He is venerated as the patron saint of Eucharistic adoration and those who work in the Eucharistic ministries. He is known to be the “Apostle of the Eucharist.”

His Influence

The life and spiritual journey of Saint Peter Julian Eymard show us the love of God for humanity: a love that is willing to sacrifice and give everything for our good, even if we do not deserve; a love that forgives and embraces all sins of humanity; a love that invites us to love him back and everything he loves; a love that is constantly renewed at every Eucharistic table.

Saint Peter Julian Eymard once said, "The Eucharist is the supreme proof of the love of Jesus. After this, there is nothing more but heaven itself."

When we receive the Eucharist, we experience the love of Jesus pouring out his body and blood to every soul who receives him. We also allow him to transform us into his own likeness, for we become what we eat—the person of Jesus in the form of bread and wine. When we adore him, we catch a glimpse of his promise of heaven where we behold him face-to-face in eternity.

Pope Leo XIV to Peruvian youth: Be the light and the salt of Christ

 

Pope Leo XIV sends video message  (@VATICAN MEDIA)

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• young people
• Peru
• faith
• jesus

Pope Leo to Peruvian young people: Be Christ's 'salt and light'

In a video message to the young people taking part in Peru's National Youth Day (JNJ) 2026, taking place from 30 July to 2 August in the city of Chulucanas, Pope Leo XIV insists that many people today need "the joyful and contagious witness that a young person in love with Christ can offer."

By Renato Martinez 

"Do not be afraid to be God's instruments for rekindling hope in the many, many hearts that are suffering."

With these words, Pope Leo XIV addressed the participants in Peru's National Youth Day (JNJ) 2026, taking place from 30 July to 2 August in the city of Chulucanas, in the Piura region.

The event seeks to strengthen participants' personal relationship with Jesus Christ and to promote a Church that is united in communion, synodal, and missionary.

An event that renews and strengthens the life of the Church

In his video message, the Holy Father thanked the more than 4,000 participants—including young people, Bishops, priests, and men and women religious from across Peru who have prepared with great enthusiasm over recent months for the event.

"I thank you wholeheartedly for responding to this initiative," the Pope said, describing it as one "that renews and strengthens the life of the Church."

Be courageous and bear witness

Reflecting on the theme of this National Youth Day, organized by the Episcopal Commission for Youth and Laity together with the Diocese of Chulucanas, the Pope encouraged young people to bear witness that it is possible to live united in Christ, recalling the event's motto: "Be courageous, Christ is alive."

"The certainty of the Lord's living presence in our midst is the inner fire that urges us to be courageous," Pope Leo said.

He encouraged the young people to step beyond "the comfort of individualism," to become part of "a community of brothers and sisters in the faith," to forge "genuine bonds of friendship," and to bear witness "that it is possible to live united in Christ."

Be God's instruments for rekindling hope

Pope Leo XIV also invited the young people to open their hearts to receive the gifts the Lord wishes to pour out upon them during these days.

"Do not be afraid to be God's instruments for rekindling hope in the many, many hearts that are suffering," he said.

He also urged them not to keep the experience of the gathering to themselves.

"Do not let it remain only in the photos on your phones or in videos shared on social media," he said. 

Instead, he encouraged them to share it through the witness of their lives, insisting that many people today need "the joyful and contagious witness that a young person in love with Christ can offer."

Be Christ's salt and light in Peru

Before imparting his Apostolic Blessing, the Holy Father entrusted all those taking part in the National Youth Day to the maternal intercession of Our Lady of Evangelization.

"May she intercede for you," the Pope prayed, "so that you may be Christ's 'salt and light' in this beloved land of Peru. May God bless you!"

Pope Leo XIV: "no prison is deep enough to separate a person from the love of God." Remembering Communist prison camp in Albania

 

Cardinal Ernest Simoni celebrates Mass at the former prison camp of Spaç, in Albania 

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• Pope Leo XIV
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Pope to Cardinal Simoni: No prison can separate a person from God's love

Pope Leo XIV sent a message to 97-year-old Cardinal Ernest Simoni, who yesterday morning, Friday 31 July, presided over the Mass at the former prison camp of Spaç, Albania, in memory of those who suffered or lost their lives there. During the communist regime, the Cardinal spent most of his 18-year sentence of forced labour in the camp, where he celebrated Mass in secret.

By Fabrizio Peloni 

“No chain is strong enough to imprison a conscience enlightened by the Gospel; no night is so long that it can prevent the dawn the Lord prepares for His children; and no prison is deep enough to separate a person from the love of God.”

With these words, echoing Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans (8:35–39), Pope Leo XIV addressed a message to Albanian Cardinal Ernest Simoni and to all those who took part in the Mass the Cardinal presided over on Friday morning, 31 July, at the former prison camp of Spaç, in remembrance of those who suffered or died there.

A site where many bore the cross of injustice

“That place, deeply engraved in the memory of the Albanian people, remains one of the most painful chapters in the nation’s history. Spaç was a place where many carried the heavy cross of injustice,” the Pope wrote in the message, which was read at the conclusion of Mass.

The Holy Father recalled that “the blood of those who suffered and died among those mountains has watered that land, making it a silent witness to fidelity, courage and hope.”

A witness to persecution under the communist regime

Cardinal Simoni, now 97, returned to the camp where he spent most of his 18 years in prison “to celebrate the Sacrifice of Christ, which transformed the Cross from a sign of death into the promise of life,” Pope Leo wrote.

The Albanian Cardinal experienced first-hand the persecution of the communist regime. Initially sentenced to death as an enemy of the people, his sentence was later commuted to imprisonment in various labour camps, where he endured years of forced labour.

“I risked my life every time I celebrated Mass”

Cardinal Simoni recalled that during his imprisonment, he celebrated Mass from memory in Latin, noting, "I risked my life each time." He also said he heard confessions and distributed Holy Communion in secret.

Explaining that he baked the bread using flour cooked over makeshift stoves and used juice squeezed from grapes for the Eucharistic celebration, he recognized, “If they had found me, they would have hanged me immediately."

In fact, during Friday’s Mass, the Cardinal showed those present the miner’s helmet he wore as a young priest when he was sent to work underground in the mines.

The Pope’s prayer for those buried in unmarked graves

Reflecting on those years of persecution, Pope Leo wrote, “Who knows how many prayers rose to Heaven from that place? How many supplications were whispered in silence? How many faces, marked by hardship and deprivation, entrusted their final hope to the Lord?”

The Pope joined in prayer for each of those men and women, many of whom were buried in unmarked graves, where no one was able to mourn them or lay a flower in their memory.

He prayed that “their memory may remain alive and serve as a constant reminder to new generations of the inviolable dignity of every human person, the value of freedom, and the commitment to peace.”