HOW POPE LEO HONORS WORLD GRANDPARENTS' DAY, WITNESSES OF HOPE, YOUTH JUBILEE... (1042 hits)
For Immediate Release From Vatican News!
Pope Leo: ‘Grandparents and elderly are witnesses of hope’ Pope Leo XIV marks the 5th World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly and welcomes young pilgrims of hope arriving in Rome for their Jubilee. by Vatican News
Speaking after the Sunday Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, **** Leo XIV reminded those listening that today we celebrate the Fifth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, the theme of which is: “Blessed is the one who does not lose hope.”
He released his Message for the occasion on 10 July 2025.
“Let us look to grandparents and the elderly as witnesses of hope, capable of lighting the path for new generations. Let us not leave them alone, but join them in a covenant of love and prayer,” he said.
Jubilee of Youth
And following his appeal for peace in war-torn nations across the world, the **** greeted with “particular affection the young people from various countries who have gathered in Rome for the Jubilee of Youth.”
“I hope that this will be an opportunity for each of you to encounter Christ, and to be strengthened by him in your faith and in your commitment to following Christ with integrity of life,” he said.
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**** Expresses Grave Concern For Starving Civilians in Gaza Exposed to **** and Death.
**** Leo XIV launches an appeal for victims of wars across the world and expresses particular concern for the population of Gaza where he prays for the release of hostages and the full respect of humanitarian law. By Vatican News
”My heart is particularly close to all those who are suffering because of conflicts and **** in the world,” said **** Leo XIV as he launched an appeal to world leaders to find solutions to the wars afflicting so many people.
“May the Prince of Peace inspire everyone to seek dialogue and reconciliation,” he said as he prayed “for those affected by the clashes on the border between Thailand and Cambodia, especially the children and displaced families,” and for “the victims of **** in southern ****.”
Deep Concern For The People of Gaza
And speaking after the recitation of the Angelus Prayer on Sunday, in the wake of a week in which the world has seen images of skeletal children filling hospital wards in Gaza as for months, Israel has kept food shipments far below starvation rations causing the death, particularly of the most vulnerable to rise rapidly, the **** said “I am following with deep concern the extremely grave humanitarian situation in Gaza, where the civilian population is being crushed by hunger and continues to be exposed to **** and death.”
“I am following with deep concern the extremely grave humanitarian situation in Gaza, where the civilian population is being crushed by hunger and continues to be exposed to **** and death.”
Appeal
“I renew my heartfelt appeal for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and full respect for international humanitarian law,” he said, noting that “Every human being has an intrinsic dignity bestowed by God Himself.”
“Every human being has an intrinsic dignity bestowed by God Himself.”
And appealing to political leaders, he continued: “I urge all parties in every conflict to recognise this dignity and to cease all actions that violate it.”
The **** said he encourages negotiations toward a future of peace for all peoples and the rejection of anything that could compromise it, and entrusted to Mary, Queen of Peace, “the innocent victims of conflicts and the leaders who have the power to bring them to an end.”
“I entrust to Mary, Queen of Peace, the innocent victims of conflicts and the leaders who have the power to bring them to an end.”
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Pilgrims from the Pacific bringing their culture to the Youth Jubilee
Three pilgrims from Tahiti, Tonga and Guam share with Vatican News their excitement in participating in the Jubilee of Youth and the hope and energy they want to bring back home.
By Isabella H. de Carvalho
Around 18,000 km over two flights, 8 and 11 hours long respectively, spanning a 12-hour time difference. That is the distance a group of around 40 young people and adults from Tahiti, French Polynesia, travelled to attend the Jubilee of Youth in Rome, which starts on July 28 and lasts until August 3.
“For some of the young people, it’s their first time taking a plane”, Marevareva Teuira, a 39-year-old accompanying the group, told Vatican News. “For us Catholics, though, Rome is our house, our home”.
In addition to the group from Tahiti, there will also be 6 young people from Guam and 3 from Tonga embarking on this long journey to represent the Pacific at this Holy Year event. Three pilgrims from these countries spoke to Vatican News to share how they are preparing, the challenges they have faced and their hopes and expectations for this trip.
Frankie from Guam: looking forward to having a “faith-lift” “I can't wait to experience the universal Church with a bunch of youth and young adults, because on our island, we are around 160,000 people. The gathering in Rome is going to have many more, and it is going to be eye-opening for me and for my faith”. Frankie Casill, a 32-year-old criminology student from Hagåtña, the capital of Guam, is still in awe that he is going to be able to come to Rome for the first time. He is a volunteer for the Office of Youth and Young Adults in the Archdiocese of Agaña and will be coming with 5 other young people. “I’m open to whatever the Holy Spirit and God send my way”, he said.
“It still feels like yesterday I was in Madrid at the airport for the 2011 World Youth Day. The rain was pouring, it was cold, I didn't sleep well. In a lot of ways, I felt like I shouldn't be there, but through the grace of God, He made me get there,” Frankie remembered. “Seeing the **** up close, witnessing all the youths in the field under the rain, in silence while the Blessed Sacrament was exposed, gave me the zeal to come back to my island and to help in any way that I can”.
And now Frankie is ready to live a similar experience again and bring back that same excitement. “It’s been very long since I’ve been on a spiritual retreat or journey like this. I think the Lord knows I need to recharge, or get a ‘faith-lift”, he adds laughing.
o prepare for this event, the Archdiocese has organised several initiatives throughout the year such as “coastal rosaries” on the first Saturday of each month at a different beach across the island, or youth Masses. Although the majority of the population is Catholic, like many other countries around the world, young people are increasingly less practicing.
“Hopefully by going on this pilgrimage to the Jubilee of Youth, I can then bring back to the diocese activities and programs that can bring young people back to the Church”, he said.
****: Migrants Are “Witnesses of Hope” In A Devastated World
In his Message for the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, **** Leo XIV emphasizes the important witness that Catholic migrants and refugees can offer in a world affected by conflict and inequality in hoping and searching for a better and more peaceful future. By Isabella H. de Carvalho
**** Leo XIV highlights how migrants and refugees in a special way can become witnesses of hope and tenacity amidst adversity and calls for a future of peace and respect for human dignity, in his Message for the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, released on Friday, July 25.
This year, rather than being celebrated on September 24 as usual, the World Day will coincide with the Jubilee of Migrants and of Missions, which takes place on October 4 and 5. This annual event encourages the faithful to show support and closeness to the millions of people who are forced to leave their homes and places of origin. According to the United Nations, at the end of 2024, around 123.4 million people were forcibly displaced across the world due to persecution, conflict, **** or other issues.
A desire for peace is essential for humanity **** Leo XIV begins his Message underlining how the world is “faced with frightening scenarios and the possibility of global devastation”.
“The prospect of a renewed arms race and the development of new armaments, including nuclear weapons, the lack of consideration for the harmful effects of the ongoing climate crisis, and the impact of profound economic inequalities make the challenges of the present and the future increasingly demanding”, he explained, adding that these issues have forced millions to leave their homelands.
He points out that the “widespread tendency” to look at “the interests of limited communities” poses a threat to sharing “responsibility, multilateral cooperation, the pursuit of the common good and global solidarity”.
For **** Leo, “it is important there be a growing desire in people’s hearts for a future of peace and of respect for the dignity of all”. He stresses that “such a future is essential to God’s plan for humanity and the rest of creation”, citing passages from the biblical book of Zechariah emphasizing that, as Christians, “we believe and hope in its full realization, for the Lord is always faithful to His promises”.
Migrants and refugees, witnesses of hope through their stories The **** explains that migrants and refugees thus have an important role to play in showing hope in a better future. For the Catholic Church, “the virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man and woman”; and this search is “certainly one of the main motivations” for migrants, refugees and displaced persons, making them “messengers” and “privileged witnesses of hope”.
“Indeed, they demonstrate this daily through their resilience and trust in God, as they face adversity while seeking a future in which they glimpse that integral human development and happiness are possible”, he says, comparing the experience of the people of Israel described in the Bible.
“In a world darkened by war and injustice, even when all seems lost", he stresses, “their courage and tenacity bear heroic testimony to a faith that sees beyond what our eyes can see and gives them the strength to defy death on the various contemporary migration routes”.
**** Leo XIV: Friendship with Christ is the key to Christian happiness
Cultivating friendship with Christ and experiencing the Master's closeness and love is vital to happiness for priests and lay faithful alike, reminds **** Leo XIV when welcoming formators and Xaverian Missionaries in the Vatican on Friday. By Deborah Castellano Lubov
It is so important to cultivate friendship with Jesus...
**** Leo XIV gave this important reminder on Friday in the Vatican to participants in the Course for Seminary Formators held at Rome's Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum University, and to Xaverian Missionaries at the conclusion of their General Chapter.
To those who just concluded the course or their General Chapter, **** Leo admitted, "These are certainly two different events, yet we can see a common thread that unites them because, in different ways, we are called to enter into the dynamism of mission and to face the challenges of evangelization."
To Have The 'Same Mind' as Christ Jesus
It is precisely this call, the **** marveled, that requires of us all, ordained ministers and lay faithful alike, "a solid and integral" formation, "which is not limited to specialized knowledge, but must aim to transform our humanity and our spirituality so that they reflect the Gospel, and so that we have 'the same mind' as Christ Jesus."
The **** went on to offer some thoughts for reflection in this regard, also remembering that with such inspiration the Dicastery for the Clergy recently hosted an international gathering dedicated to priests on the theme, “Joyful Priests.”
"We can add that to be enthused by the joy of the Gospel," **** Leo suggested, "is not just for priests, but for everyone, and so we can speak of happy Christians, happy disciples and happy missionaries."
“We can add that to be enthused by the joy of the Gospel, is not just for priests, but for everyone, and so we can speak of happy Christians, happy disciples and happy missionaries”
A Christian's 'house' must be founded on 'rock' If this hope is not to remain a mere slogan, he said, formation is essential.
"Indeed, it is necessary that the 'house' of our life and vocational journey, whether priestly or lay, be founded on 'rock,'" the **** highlighted, clarifying that is, on solid foundations "with which to face the human and spiritual storms from which even the lives of Christians, priests and missionaries are not exempt."
The Holy Father next asked "how we can build our house on rock," and, in this regard, went on to offer three brief suggestions.
Need to personally experience the Master's closeness and love The first, he reminded, is to "cultivate friendship with Jesus," noting this is the foundation of the house, "which must lie at the heart of every vocation and apostolic mission."
"We need personally to experience the closeness of the Master," he said, "to know that we have been seen, loved and chosen by the Lord by pure grace and without merit on our part, because it is above all our own personal experience that we then exude in our ministry."
“We need personally to experience the closeness of the Master, to know that we have been seen, loved and chosen by the Lord by pure grace and without merit on our part..”
"Moreover, when we form others in the priestly life and, according to our specific vocation, proclaim the Gospel in mission lands," **** Leo reminded, "we first radiate our personal experience of friendship with Christ, which shines through in our way of living, in our attitude, in our humanity, and in how we are capable of living out healthy relationships.
