reflections, updates and homilies from Deacon Mike Talbot inspired by the following words from my ordination: Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach...
Pope: Stop the spiral of violence and make room for diplomacy
Following the recitation of the Angelus, Pope Leo XIV expresses his concern over the ongoing violence in Sudan, Ukraine, and Russia. He calls for the conversion “of those who sow violence” and an end to “an ever-growing number of civilian casualties.”
By Kielce Gussie
Following the recitation of the Angelus prayer on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV expressed his concern over the ongoing situation in Sudan, referring in particular to the city of el-Obeid.
“In expressing my spiritual closeness to all the people of the nation, I renew my appeal to those in authority to guarantee humanitarian corridors for the civilian population,” he stressed. At the same time, the Pope called on the international community “to support efforts aimed at bringing about an immediate ceasefire.”
A damaged interior view of the Agricultural Bank of Sudan after it was reportedly targeted by the Rapid Support Forces in el-Obeid on July 27, 2026 (AFP or licensors)
He urged everyone to pray that the Lord will support and sustain everyone suffering, “convert the hearts of those who sow violence, and grant the long-awaited peace.”
Preventing another humanitarian catastrophe
The United Nations is warning the global community that el-Obeid is in danger of becoming Sudan’s next humanitarian catastrophe. People report running out of food, water, and medical supplies following months of siege as drones continue to strike and sexual violence has become more common.
Sudanese children trying to get leftover food from an empty pot in a camp for displaced people near the city of el-Obeid (AFP or licensors)
Fighting continues in and around the capital city of the North Kordofan state as el-Obeid is situated along a strategic corridor in central Sudan and on the road to the western Darfur region of the country.
More than 14 million people have been displaced across Sudan, and millions live in hunger after three years of conflict.
'War only breeds more war'
Continuing his appeals, Pope Leo drew attention to the many innocent lives lost and people wounded in Ukraine and Russia. He highlighted how “tragic episodes” are not only continuing but are multiplying, leading to an increasing number of civilian casualties.
“I stand with the families of the victims, the wounded, and all those who are suffering as a result of the ongoing conflict,” the Pope said.
In the midst of this ongoing conflict, he renewed his heartfelt appeal for international humanitarian law to be respected and for people on both sides stop attacks that involve civilians as targets.
“War only breeds more war and causes immense suffering,” Pope Leo stressed. “It is time to stop the spiral of violence and make room for diplomacy and dialogue, paving the way for peace.”
Young people: Be inspired by the saints
After greeting groups from around Italy, the Pope highlighted the presence of many youth groups in St. Peter's Square. He noted that they have chosen to "devote some of their vacation days to activities that foster personal growth and friendship as a sign of hope." In particular, he recalled his meeting with young people at the Franciscan meeting in Assisi on August 6.
Pope Leo greeting young people in Assisi during his visit on August 6 (@VATICAN MEDIA)
Pope Leo encouraged the young people to look to the saints on the liturgical calendar these days as examples: Saint Dominic, Saint Teresa Benedicts of the Cross, Saint Lawrence, and Saint Clare of Assisi.
"Dear young people," the Pope said, "let yourselves be inspired and enthused by these exemplary witnesses to the Gospel!"
In Assisi, Pope encourages young people to ‘touch the suffering flesh of others'
At Mass for the 2026 Franciscan Youth Meeting in Assisi, the Pope encourages young people to “overcome resignation and fear,” and “write new pages of history.”
By Tiziana Campisi
Pope Leo celebrated Mass on Thursday for the thousands of young people from across Europe gathered in Assisi for Go! the 2026 Franciscan Youth Meeting.
At Mass in the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels, the Pope encouraged his young listeners to go “to the margins” of society, “where the injustice and arrogance of a few deny the dignity and dreams of many”.
“We are called to read the Scriptures with the Master,” Pope Leo said, “to interpret our times, and to make decisions as we walk in His footsteps. We are here to overcome resignation and fear, to untangle the doubts that hold us back just as they held back the apostles. Jesus calls us into a dialogue with His story so that we may write new pages of history.”
Assisi is a place where “everything whispers that our lives can be transformed, unleash light, and repair the world,” the Pope said, reminding his listeners that it was here in Assisi that “the transfiguration of Francis, of Clare, and then of thousands of other young people” first began.
Young people gathered for Mass with Pope Leo (@VATICAN MEDIA)
Listening and decision-making
Pope Leo began his homily by considering the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, which the Church marks today.
Jesus, the Pope said, was “transfigured precisely in conversation with the Father, with those who preceded him — Moses and Elijah — and with his contemporaries, the disciples.”
The Church exists, Pope Leo said, “to draw us into this dynamic of listening and deciding, helping us understand for whom to live and how to live.”
The Church is “the community where we learn to distinguish the voice of God”, the Pope stressed, “and to dare that obedience to the Holy Spirit that made bold and creative all those who agreed to follow Jesus.”
Embracing 'sister poverty'
While St Francis’ choice to turn away from the world was revolutionary, St Clare’s was “even more striking”, Pope Leo said. Like Francis, Clare “wanted to live … in true freedom”, and this, the Pope explained, is the "energy" of Christianity - “that of beginnings and many fresh starts”.
“And so, dear young people, today Europe and the whole world are looking to you for new saints: dare to believe in the word of the Gospel, become fully human with the freedom of Jesus Christ, and embrace Sister Poverty! The title of your gathering—Go!—is a mission, a sending out onto roads for which we have no maps, because they open up as we listen to the heart, obey the Spirit, and follow the Risen Lord where He has chosen to go before us.”
All of this must be done without keeping our distance “from the wounds of the Lord,” as Pope Francis warned, Leo continued, quoting Evangelii gaudium, in which his predecessor stresses that “Jesus wants us to touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others. He expects us to stop looking for those personal or communal niches that allow us to keep our distance from the heart of human suffering.”
Committing to the civilization of love
Even if his listeners "might not be understood, even by those in your own home—just as happened to Saint Francis,” the Pope stressed that “stepping away from the culture of power and tearing down the walls that divide human beings is never a betrayal of family, city, or tradition.”
Rather, he said, it serves to free us "from their ghosts, from enemies invented out of fear and ignorance, and from the violence that seeks to impose its own neat little order on a reality that vastly exceeds us on every side.”
“To trust in God is to discover, like Francis and Clare, a world of brothers and sisters to be appreciated and served, not exploited and dominated,” the Pope said. “Not a world to be defended, but one to be embraced.”
Pope in Assisi: Build a civilization of love, not division
At Santa Maria degli Angeli, the first stop on his pastoral visit, the Pope answers questions from young people and explains that Gospel radicalism is “the opposite of fundamentalism: it does not make us blind and violent, but sensitive and attentive,” and welcoming towards all.
By Antonella Palermo
How can the spiritual legacy of Saint Francis of Assisi be lived out today? How can we embrace a spirit of service and welcome in a world increasingly shaped by oppression and consumerism? And how can we continue to trust a Church that is itself marked by crises and contradictions?
These were some of the questions put to the Pope today by three young people, who gave voice to concerns shared not only by their own generation, but by many others as well.
Pope Leo chose to begin his pastoral visit to the Umbrian town of Assisi by meeting young people at Santa Maria degli Angeli. Responding at length to each of their questions, he reiterated several key principles: religion must never be exploited for political purposes, while leadership should be liberating, responsible and inclusive.
Going against the tide: Healing memories and fostering reconciliation
Karolina, from Zagreb, was the first to speak. She asked how people can remain authentic disciples of Christ and share a living faith that does not remain confined within church walls.
In response, the Pope returned to the subject of war, recalling that Karolina comes from “a region of Europe that experienced war only thirty years ago, as well as the dangerous intertwining of religious affiliation and nationalism.”
The Franciscans’ long-standing commitment to dialogue in the region, he noted, has helped Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Muslims live together in peace. This, Pope Leo said, is the path that must continue to be followed.
“Today, being faithful to this tradition of closeness means going against the tide, working to heal memories and fostering reconciliation. Christians will increasingly be called to become peacemakers in societies tempted to exploit religion in conflicts between different identities.”
Karolina shakes Pope Leo's hand (@Vatican Media)
Misinformation and prejudice create fear; Christ opens the heart
To live as spiritual sons and daughters of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Pope stressed, means understanding the true meaning of Gospel radicalism.
It “is the opposite of fundamentalism: it does not make us blind and violent, but sensitive and attentive, always following Jesus and therefore humble and welcoming towards everyone. It is not easy, but it brings great joy.”
Following this path, the Pope suggested, sometimes means making uncomfortable or unfashionable choices, while resisting every attempt at manipulation.
“Bearing witness to Christ therefore remains both fascinating and demanding, because it opens our minds and hearts beyond artificial boundaries—that is, beyond the fears created by misinformation and the walls of prejudice.”
Technology makes us forget how to be together
Pope Leo then reflected on Saint Francis’ insight that poverty can bring people closer, even when they seem far apart.
He recalled what it means to be the Church: a home open to everyone, a community that listens and experiences the joy of fraternity. It is also a place where people rediscover the physical reality of being together, beyond the virtual world, and the value of silence, which “is the opposite of war, with its violence, shouting and cruelty.”
“Dear young people, how beautiful it is to be together and ‘speak about God’ and, in His light, about life itself, in all its beauty, mystery and seriousness!”
“Bear witness to this way of living wherever you go, especially at a time when technology is making us forget how to be together as people of flesh and blood.”
Making a lifelong commitment is a revolutionary act
Giovanni, from Bologna, asked the Pope how it is possible to give a wholehearted “yes” to God in a world that often struggles to look beyond the immediate future or towards eternity.
He also asked what had helped Robert Prevost along his own vocational journey.
“Making a definitive choice is perhaps the most revolutionary act,” the Pope replied.
The problem today, he said, lies in “an occasionally confused understanding of freedom,” which can foster the illusion “that problems can be solved by running away, by betraying others, or by taking only a few steps along constantly changing paths, without ever travelling far.”
The Pope warned that constantly seeking new experiences, relationships and possessions often point to an inner emptiness. It can even lead people to treat others as commodities. True love, he said, is something entirely different.
“Deciding forever does not imprison us in a cage but opens us to a greater dynamism. Love is an exodus, a road to be discovered, a journey that God undertakes with us. This is the true meaning of every vocation.”
Giovanni listens to Pope Leo's response to his question (@Vatican Media)
Saying ‘yes to becoming Pope
Prompted by Giovanni’s question, Pope Leo offered a glimpse into his own personal journey.
He explained that decisions must be renewed each day and that a vocation is “a journey of redemption and healing.” It requires daily commitment and constant vigilance against the way sin can cloud a person’s judgement.
“In my experience, I can say that the Lord has never left me alone. He has always accompanied me, also giving me people with whom to walk. In my vocation to be a priest, a member of the Augustinian community and a missionary, I found a light that has guided me to this day, until I had to say ‘yes’ to a very special calling: that of being Pope.”
“In my experience, I can say that the Lord has never left me alone.”
The invisible walls dividing our cities
Luigi, a 22-year-old from Sicily, asked about obedience to the Successor of Peter, especially when it feels difficult or when scandals emerge within the Church. How, he asked, can people remain within “this healing Love”?
Pope Leo XIV insisted that unity is close to the heart of Jesus. The Pope, who made unity the theme of his episcopal motto, described it as something “revolutionary.” Despite the Church’s failures and wounds, he said, such unity remains both possible and visible.
“Around Jesus, men and women who otherwise would never have met or spent time together become brothers and sisters. When this miracle of the Church continues to take place, thanks be to God, it remains astonishing even today in our cities, which are filled with invisible walls separating people from one another. How many forms of discrimination and inequality can end immediately once we recognize one another as brothers and sisters!”
Luigi listens to Pope Leo (@Vatican Media)
The power of Jesus does not humiliate, but lifts up
The Pope’s response turned the logic of the world on its head, echoing the words of the Magnificat.
True power, he explained, is measured not by a person’s ability to focus on themselves, but by their willingness to serve others with humility.
“Not grasping but receiving; not holding on, but giving back: this is the life of God, which heals the Church and makes her a free people, a place where people can breathe and find salvation.”
Jesus’ desire for the Church is clear, the Pope concluded: she must become His Body and reveal His life. This means following His example and exercising a different kind of strength-one that does not humiliate but lifts others up.
Pope Leo during his visit to Assisi in November 2025 (@Vatican Media)
Pope
In Assisi, Pope to encourage young people to dream "great things"
Pope Leo XIV will visit Assisi on 6 August to meet thousands of young Europeans and encourage them, in the spirit of Saint Francis, to dream boldly and embrace a life of faith, purpose and service.
By Daniele Piccini
Pope Leo XIV’s pastoral visit to the Italian town of Assisi on Thursday, 6 August, will bring to an end four days of encounters, workshops and opportunities for sharing. The Pope will answer young people's questions and preside over Mass, inviting them, as he did a year ago during the Jubilee of Youth at Tor Vergata, not to settle for a mediocre life.
Those involved in the pastoral care of young people - such as Friar Luca de Pasquale, one of the organisers of the “GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting”, which will bring thousands of Europeans aged between 18 and 33 to the city of Saint Francis from the 3rd to the 6th of August - note that many of them often lack strong desires and have already stopped dreaming of their future.
The 38-year-old Friar Minor told to Vatican News how important it is to hear from someone like the Pope, who is able to speak to them about the fullness of life. He also spoke of the value of looking to a model of “holy restlessness” such as Saint Francis, who can speak to today’s young people as though he were their contemporary.
Friar Luca, what will the programme of the Pope’s visit to Assisi look like on the morning of 6 August?
The Holy Father will arrive quite early on the morning of 6 August, at 8:30, and everything will take place at Saint Mary of the Angels, in the Basilica that houses the little Porziuncola chapel, which Francis of Assisi restored, where he lived, founded the Order of Friars Minor and died. It is a key place for our family and also for the 800th anniversary of Francis’ “Transitus”, which we are celebrating this year.
The Pope will spend a brief moment in personal prayer inside the Porziuncola. He will then go out into the square, where, before the crowd, which is unable to enter the Basilica because of capacity restrictions, he will listen to three young people from different parts of Europe, who will put three questions to him on three different subjects.
The Pope will then meet privately with the Franciscan families. Afterwards, at around 10 or 10:30, he will preside over Mass. It will also be the Solemnity of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
The forecourt of the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels, where the Pope will preside over Mass on 6 August.
A great many young people will be in Assisi: those participating in the “GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting”; those who will have just completed the 44th Franciscan March and arrived for the Pardon of Assisi; and those coming especially for Mass with Pope Leo XIV. It will be like a Franciscan World Youth Day…
We are certain that, during his homily, the Holy Father will be able to offer a word that captures the meaning of everything the young people have experienced over the preceding days. On Thursday, 6 August, after Mass and once the Pope has departed, we will present the young people with a kind of “missionary charter”.
What will that involve?
During the days preceding their encounter with the Pope, they will take part in workshops on various subjects. On the one hand, they will be called to listen; on the other, they themselves will take centre stage and have the opportunity to express their views.
At the end, we will prepare a kind of synthesis of what emerges from the young people’s discussions and use it to draw up a missionary charter, which they will then be able to put into practice within their local communities across Europe and beyond.
The encounter with the Pope will be the culmination of four days devoted to young people. In your opinion, what will be the most important or evocative moments of those four days?
The workshops are at the heart of the entire event. On the first evening, the young people will arrive and begin by listening to an introduction that will provide a key for understanding what we are about to experience, through the words of the Bishop of Assisi, Archbishop Felice Accrocca, and Professor Marco Erba.
They will seek to place in context the experience of the Chapter of Mats of 1221, an episode in the life of Francis and the Franciscan Order that also inspires our gathering today.
We will hold workshops on peace, forgiveness and vocation. This will offer young people an opportunity to listen anew to God’s call in their lives. They will therefore spend 4 August listening, while on 5 August, through more “active” workshops, they will be able to speak and express themselves directly.
There will also be a place that is very dear to us and which we were determined to include: the Burning Bush, a dedicated chapel that the young people can visit between workshops. There will be perpetual Eucharistic adoration throughout the event at Saint Mary of the Angels, as well as an opportunity to visit two exhibitions.
Who organised these exhibitions?
One of them, on Francis, has been organised by us Friars Minor of Umbria and Sardinia. Its purpose is to help people discover him by stripping away many of the images that have been attributed to him and returning to Francis’ own words in his Testament.
Another exhibition has been prepared by a group of students from Lombardy. Beginning with situations of war, they identified people who brought light through the grace of the Gospel.
The event is intended for young people aged between 18 and 33, both believers and non-believers. Could you explain what expectations led you to invite non-believers and what response you hope for?
Seeing how Francis continues to attract people beyond the boundaries of faith prompted us to be a little daring and to make ourselves available to those who may wish to take a step beyond prejudice, reconnect with the important things in life and perhaps encounter the Lord. We do not know whether that will happen—it is what we hope for, but without making any assumptions.
How many young people will attend?
Registration closed on 30 June. Around 2,150 young people will participate in the event, in addition to all those coming for the Pope’s Mass.
The figure of Saint Francis encompasses many issues close to young people’s hearts: care for the environment, a radical relationship with Christ, charity towards the most vulnerable and respect for women. In your experience, what kind of relationship do young people have with this saint?
Francis is fascinating. What attracts people to him is his simplicity, his ability to speak to the lives of young people as though he were one of their peers and, above all, the fact that Francis was always a great dreamer. He was never a young man who simply settled for what life offered, and that is something that fascinates many young people.
Whenever I meet young people here, I enjoy asking them a question. Regardless of their age, I always ask: “What is your dream? What is the greatest desire you carry in your heart?” It is sad to hear that many of them do not know how to answer. It is as though they have already given up. Yet when they listen to the story of Francis’ life, they see how he never gave up, but always dared to go further.
More than ever in recent years, Italy’s bestseller lists have been dominated by books about Saint Francis. How do you explain the fact that interest in the Poor Man of Assisi has moved beyond specialist literature and spread among the wider public?
Francis touches upon subjects that are very contemporary and highly relevant: care for creation, respect within relationships, and seeing and feeling ourselves to be brothers and sisters in a context increasingly marked by individualism. These are all themes that speak profoundly to people today.
The risk we must avoid is making Francis say things that he did not say or attributing to him an identity that is not truly his.
As part of this event, we have included an exhibition that we presented at last year’s Rimini Meeting. It will remain on display here at Saint Mary of the Angels from the beginning of the GO! event until the Feast of Saint Francis itself. While occasionally acting as guides to the exhibition, we saw people come out saying: “We had never really known Francis before!”
Could you give an example of something frequently attributed to Saint Francis that he never actually said or did?
The Canticle of Brother Sun is often interpreted as a hymn to ecology, as though Francis were the environmentalist par excellence and creatures were of fundamental importance, taking precedence over everything else in his life.
The Canticle is misunderstood when read in this way. When Francis wrote it, he had just received the stigmata at La Verna. His friars had also pushed him aside and no longer wanted him as Minister General of the Order, so spiritually he found himself in a state of solitude.
The Canticle, which is superficially attributed to Francis as a hymn to ecology, is actually a song to God. Francis draws upon creatures because they bear God’s imprint, and therefore to see them is to see something of God. This helped Francis avoid turning inwards upon his struggles and suffering.
The event is addressed to the young people of Europe. What can Saint Francis say to the Old Continent today?
Our hope is that he can help respond to the yearning for depth that young people carry within themselves; that Francis can help them pursue the questions they already hold and continue a search that may already have found its goal or destination, but which still needs to be accompanied by a father or a friendly figure.
Francis could be that figure: someone capable of crossing the boundaries of a religious context and truly embracing every possible sphere of life.
