Pope Leo Holy Mass, Santa Cruz de Tenerife 12.06.26

Apostolic Journey to Spain

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Dear brothers and sisters,

It is a blessing to come together on this day when the Heart of Jesus reveals itself to us as the heart of history. I am happy to celebrate the Eucharist with you, giving thanks for the abundant witnesses of faith and charity I have experienced on this Apostolic Journey. This is what makes the archipelago, so well known for its beauty and hospitality, a place where the Risen Lord precedes us and reveals himself to us. The sea before us evokes the infinite, and so does the sky; but even more boundless is the infinite longing that joins the heart of God to so many human hearts, whose joys and hopes, sorrows and anxieties find an echo in the heart of the Church (cf. Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 1). No human being is an island. The geographical location of this diocese and the pastoral challenges it faces bear witness to the fact that we are born for encounter and that no obstacle, distance, danger or threat can prevent anyone from making the journey. Whether we spend our whole lives in one place or choose — or are forced — to leave, no one remains unchanged. This is the secret of the heart: the inner call to exodus and to encounter.

But the Heart of Jesus shows us how not to get lost in a futile struggle: “God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him” (1 Jn 4:9). It is in giving of ourselves that we truly live. Otherwise, we spin in a void. Indeed, “as the Council recalled, human persons are called to communion with God and ‘can fully discover their true selves only in sincere self-giving.’ Indeed, their deepest vocation is to enter into the Trinitarian dynamic of love received” (Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas, 48). Pope Francis likewise observed: “Many people today sense a profound imbalance which drives them to frenetic activity and makes them feel busy, in a constant hurry, which in turn leads them to ride rough-shod over everything around them. This too affects how they treat the environment” (Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’, 225). These words also challenge Tenerife in its vocation to hospitality, speaking both to the hearts of those who choose to spend their vacations here and to those of the people who live and work on the island, welcoming visitors from so many countries around the world. What does the human heart seek? How can we respond to its thirst in a way that is not disingenuous? It is important, especially for those who are guided by the Gospel, not to reduce everything to commerce and profit. “Those who enjoy more and live better each moment are those who have given up dipping here and there, always on the look-out for what they do not have. They experience what it means to appreciate each person and each thing, learning familiarity with the simplest things and how to enjoy them. So they are able to shed unsatisfied needs, reducing their obsessiveness and weariness” (Ibid., 223). Understand your vocation to hospitality in this way, dear brothers and sisters.

Today’s Gospel seems to take this challenge to the extreme and reminds us of the wealth of the poor, a paradox that points directly to the life of Jesus, to his truth, to the path upon which he continues to ask us to follow him. In the passage we have heard, he blesses the Father for this: that God has revealed himself to the little ones — to the least among us, to those whose thoughts and words are ignored. He has enriched them with what is hidden from those who are surrounded by admiration and success. With the Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te, I wished to draw attention to the privileged place of the poor in divine Revelation and in the mission of the Church.

This mystery resonates in a unique way on these islands, at the centre of migratory routes that make them a place of initial welcome for brothers and sisters whose journey is generally exposed to unspeakable dangers and violence. In the face of those who capitalise on despair, we Christians we can do more than exemplify the Lord who says: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28). The greatest grace is to allow ourselves to be evangelized by those we assist and to recognise the mysterious wisdom of God written in their very flesh. “Growing up in precarious circumstances, learning to survive in the most adverse conditions, trusting in God with the assurance that no one else takes them seriously, and helping one another in the darkest moments, the poor have learned many things that they keep hidden in their hearts. Those of us who have not had similar experiences of living this way certainly have much to gain from the source of wisdom that is the experience of the poor. Only by relating our complaints to their sufferings and privations can we experience a reproof that can challenge us to simplify our lives” (Dilexi Te, 102). The Lord, who admonishes and corrects those he loves (cf. Rev 3:19), desires to make our lives simple and joyful.

Dear brothers and sisters, thank you for who you are and for what you do, for making this island a place of encounter with the heart of Christ in the friendly and hospitable faces of people and fraternal communities. “So we have known and believe the love that God has for us” (1 Jn 4:16): may this confession of faith, handed down in the First Letter of John, always shine forth in you and inspire you to prayer and action. Be attentive to teenagers and young people, to the rich and the poor, to residents and guests: all of them need to be looked upon with a gaze that sees beyond appearances and recognises the depth of their restless hearts, which not infrequently are already oriented, perhaps unconsciously, toward the Kingdom of God and his justice. May it be evident among you that “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him” (Ibid.). This is the heart of the Gospel, the heart of Christ. Whoever immerses themselves in it no longer lives for themselves. Open this sea of love to everyone! This is my wish and my prayer for you and for all those who will come to know you.

I would like to express my gratitude to Your Excellency and to the people of Tenerife as well as their pastors and the civil authorities.

Dear brothers and sisters, this Eucharistic celebration marks the end of my Apostolic Journey in Spain. I give thanks to God and to all who have welcomed me and who, in countless ways, have helped prepare and carry out the various events in Madrid, Barcelona and Montserrat, and here in the Canary Islands.

I return to Rome deeply moved by the great affection I have received and comforted by the testimonies of faith and love for the Church, which are a testament to Spain’s profound Catholic spirit.

From this port, which bears the name of the Holy Cross, my thoughts turn to the whole world and its wounds, which cause entire populations to suffer. To all, I would like to offer the motto of this journey: “Lift up your gaze!” Yes, let us turn our eyes to Christ Crucified; his Heart is the source of mercy, which alone can save humanity — which is in need of forgiveness and reconciliation — so that it may attain true and lasting peace. Let us lift up our eyes, as did Mary, the Mother of all who suffer, and guided by her, let us continue our journey with hope!

Beloved brothers and sisters, thank you from the bottom of my heart! Let us remain united in prayer and in communion in Christ and in the Holy Church.

12.06.26

Pope Leo Holy Mass Santa Cruz de Tenerife 12.06.26

Apostolic Journey to Spain

Pope Leo Holy Mass Gran Canaria Stadium 11.06.26

Pope Leo Holy Mass, Madrid 07.06.26

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

Apostolic Journey to Spain

FAMINE

Pope Francis

Hunger

Hunger is an injustice that destroys men and women because they have nothing to eat, even if there is a lot food available in the world. Human exploitation; different forms of slavery; recently I saw a film shot inside a prison where migrants are locked up and tortured to turn them into slaves. This is still happening 70 years after the Declaration of Human Rights. Cultural colonization. This is exactly what the Devil wants, to destroy human dignity – and that is why the Devil is behind all forms of persecution.

01.06.18

Pope Leo Holy Mass, Barcelona 10.06.26

Apostolic Journey to Spain

“O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is your name in all the earth!” (Ps 8:1). With the praise of this psalm, so full of joy and wonder, I greet all of you, dear brothers and sisters. I express my gratitude to their Majesties. I thank Cardinal Juan José Omella, Archbishop of Barcelona, as well as my fellow bishops and all those who join us in prayer: priests, deacons and men and women religious. On this evening of celebration for the entire city of Barcelona, I extend grateful greetings to the public authorities, as well as to the members of other Christian communities and religions who are participating in our act of thanksgiving.

Today, the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia welcomes us to this beautiful city, opening its doors as though they were its arms, inviting each of us to this altar, to listen to the Word of God, which makes us a family loved by the Lord, nourished by his own life in the Eucharist. Thus, com la ciutat comtal and all Catalonia gather in this temple, as a sign of unity and harmony, and lift their gaze to encounter the face of God the Father, shining forth in his Son made man, Jesus Christ.

As we give thanks to the Lord for his love toward us, we praise him for his work in our lives. We thank him in particular for this extraordinary basilica, which Pope Benedict XVI consecrated in 2010, recalling that it is a visible sign of the invisible God, for whose glory its towers rise (cf. Homily for the Consecration, 7 November 2010). In continuity with the prayer of my Predecessor, in a few moments I will bless the highest tower, that of Jesus Christ.

This church is a single building made of many stones. A house that grows steadily over the years following a single plan. We are all the living stones of this edifice, which has Christ as its foundation and crowning glory, its beginning and end. Much more than a monument, the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia remains a work in progress today, reminding us that the Christian life is always a journey, because it is a project that God is carrying out.

We do not, therefore, dwell in an unfinished work, but in a temple still under construction. The fact that it is incomplete is not a flaw, for it bears witness to a desire; it does not signify a shortcoming, but rather expresses a promise that we wish to honour with consistency. Our gratitude thus becomes a commitment as we cooperate in God’s plan — that is, in the edification to which he himself calls us. Since we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 6:19), this work consists in our very lives, which God conceives as a masterpiece that we are to create together, and he calls us to collaborate with him (cf. 1 Cor 3:9).

In this regard, we hold dear in our hearts the words the Lord addressed to King David: “Are you the one to build me a house to live in?” (2 Sam 7:5). On the contrary, “the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house” (v. 11). With this passage, Scripture teaches us that it is not we who make a dwelling for God, as if he were simply one thing among others or part of a whole greater than himself. Rather, it is God who makes a place for us, and the place he gives us is his own heart: the place of the Son, for us who were strangers; the place of the Beloved, for us who are sinners.

This desire of his is fulfilled through Jesus; we can then understand the meaning of what we heard in the Gospel, when the Lord says to the Pharisees: “you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he” (Jn 8:24). These are strong words, which are by no means intended as threats or blackmail. They are an invitation to salvation — that is, a call to freedom extended by Christ, who desires for us the ultimate, eternal good. When faced with the threat of evil, the Lord is always with us, always on our side. “I am:” this is the Most Holy Name that God shared with Moses from the burning bush, revealing his unshakable faithfulness. As God made man, he becomes for us Emmanuel, the source of grace and forgiveness, of salvation and new life. That is why, if we do not believe in Jesus Christ, we remain in sin, and not only do we die, but we bring about the death of our neighbour. Dear brothers and sisters, we cannot believe in Jesus and promote war. We cannot believe in Jesus and kill the innocent even before birth. We cannot believe in Jesus and abandon those who suffer, those who weep, those who flee from misery.

Tonight, then, let us remember that la Creu de Crist, which crowns this Basilica, és la Creu dels últims who become the first, of sinners who become saints, of the dead who will rise again. The three facades of the Sagrada Familia bear witness to this: the First becomes the last for us at the Nativity; through his sacrifice, he redeems us through his Passion; his death gives us eternal life, making us sharers in divine glory. As we admire the tower of Jesus Christ, we lift our gaze toward him, toward the One who alone reveals to us the truth about God and the truth about ourselves. By looking at Christ, we can see the world with renewed eyes: the tower of the cross then becomes a banner of charity, for God loves us in this way, transforming an instrument of death into a sign of hope. In Jesus’ cross, our faith reaches its summit, as professed by the inscription found at the base of the spire: “Tu solus Sanctus, Tu solus Dominus, tu solus Altissimus.” This cross shines by day, reflecting the sunlight, and shines by night, illuminating the city like a lighthouse overlooking the Mediterranean.

Yes, the light of Christ shines in the darkness, even though the darkness has not received it (cf. Jn 1:5, 11). Yet this rejection does not mean that God’s love is lacking: “When you have lifted up the Son of Man,” says the Lord, “then you will realise that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me” (Jn 8:28). It is necessary to pass through the passion of the crucified One to be enlightened by the glory of the risen One, for from the beginning, the Father teaches us to give our lives, and the Son, who receives life from him, gives it to all through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is precisely why the cross is the radiant sign of his love.

It is faith that shapes the stones and gives meaning to the edifice we inhabit together. In our prayer, therefore, we discover the original bond between all things and God, the Creator of heaven and earth. He is the Artist who has imprinted his splendour upon the cosmos. Created in his image, humanity responds to God’s work with its own ingenuity: this is how the artist transforms talent into praise and creativity into a testimony to the Creator himself. As an architect inspired by faith, the venerable Antoni Gaudí designed this place with the desire to narrate the mysteries of the Lord’s life. In this way, he has proposed to us a spiritual pilgrimage, leading to an encounter with Christ who for our sake was born, died and rose again. Together with Gaudí, as we commemorate the centenary of his death, we remember and give thanks this evening to all the supporters and benefactors, the artists and the workers who cooperated in the construction of an architectural masterpiece, which is also an eloquent catechesis made of stones, colours and light. In her wisdom, the Church thus renews the Biblia pauperum of the ancient cathedrals, which are in themselves rich messages of evangelization. In this age in which image is so prevalent, it becomes even more evident how art and beauty are privileged channels of evangelization.

Dear brothers and sisters, the beauty of this church inspires us to learn ever more from our Master and Lord the art of living according to his Gospel. As we lift our gaze toward him, the crucified and risen One, let us commit ourselves to lifting up those who lie in the dust (cf. 1 Sam 2:8). And let us show in this way that the Sagrada Familia is the tallest church in the world, not so as to stand out in worldly rankings, but rather to guide the steps of the People of God who make their pilgrimage in Spain, with the Cross illuminating their path, like a lamp burning brightly as we await the return of the Bridegroom.

10.06.26

The Gospel in your pocket

How do we receive the Word of God? The response is clear: As one receives Jesus Christ. The Church tells us that Jesus is present in the Scripture, in His Word.

Always carry a small Gospel with you in your purse, in your pocket, and read a passage from the Gospel during the day. Not so much to learn something, but mostly to find Jesus, because Jesus actually is in His Word, in His Gospel. Every time I read the Gospel, I find Jesus. - Pope Francis 01.09.14

Daily Readings - read the entire New Testament over a 2 year period (reading plan courtesy of Gideon International)

The Bible Online

Thank you, Francis

Every month, you have invited us to pray with you for the challenges of humanity and the mission of the Church, teaching us to learn compassion for others from the heart of Christ. Thank you, Francis, for your life and your witness.

Your Worldwide Prayer Network.

Pope Francis Easter Message and Urbi et Orbi Blessing 20.04.25

Easter Sunday