- 05 October, 2025
Vatican City, October 5, 2025: Pope Leo has called on the faithful to rekindle their missionary vocation and show renewed solidarity with migrants and refugees who are forced to leave their homelands in search of safety and hope.
Addressing over 40,000 pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter’s Square for the Mass for the Jubilee of the Missions and of Migrants, the Pope reflected on the Church’s missionary duty and its call to extend compassion to “our migrant brothers and sisters.” He urged Christians to bring “the joy and consolation of the Gospel to everyone,” especially those facing hardship, loneliness, and discrimination.
Quoting Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Leo XIV reminded the faithful that “the entire Church is missionary,” emphasising the urgency of reaching out to all people “without hesitation, reluctance, or fear.” He underlined that missionary outreach, charity, and fraternity are deeply connected, forming the foundation of the Church’s witness to the Gospel in a suffering world.
“The frontiers of mission today are no longer defined by geography,” he said, explaining that poverty, suffering, and despair have reached every corner of society. He noted that migrants symbolise this new missionary landscape, carrying within their journeys both “the cry of sorrow and the longing for hope.”
Pope Leo warned against indifference and discrimination towards migrants, describing such attitudes as contrary to the Gospel. “Those boats that hope to reach a safe port, those eyes filled with anguish and hope, cannot and must not find the coldness of indifference,” he said, urging the faithful to respond with “hospitality, compassion, and solidarity.”
He further explained that mission today involves not only “going forth” but also “remaining” — being a living witness of Christ through acts of welcome and accompaniment. “To remain means to open our arms and hearts, to be a presence of consolation and hope,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of cooperation among Churches, the Pope called for a renewed spirit of missionary collaboration and a fresh appreciation for missionary vocations. He encouraged the faithful, especially in Europe, to rediscover “the beauty and importance” of serving in missionary contexts, whether as clergy, religious, or lay faithful.
Encouraging young people to be inspired by missionary examples, Pope Leo said new ideas and vocational experiences are essential to revitalising the Church’s mission. He described encounters with migrants and Christians from the Global South as opportunities for renewal, helping to create “a Christianity that is more open, more alive, and more dynamic.”
Concluding the Mass, Pope Leo offered his blessing to missionaries and those discerning their vocation. To migrants, he extended a message of welcome and hope, assuring them of the Church’s closeness. “May Mary sustain us,” he prayed, “so that each of us may become co-workers in building the Kingdom of Christ — a Kingdom of love, justice, and peace.”
Courtesy: Vatican News
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