On Wednesday, April 8,2026, Pope Leo XIV devoted much of his catechesis to the ideal of holiness and the evangelical counsels. Here is a summary of his remarks that day.

On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, Pope Leo XIV devoted much of his catechesis to a discussion of the Church in her hierarchical dimension. Here is what he said on that occasion:

On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, Pope Leo XIV voted much of his catechesis to a discussion of the Church, a Visible and Spiritual Reality Here is a summary of what the Holy Father said on that occasion:

On Wednesday, February 11, 2026, Pope Leo devoted much of his Wednesday audience that day to his fifth catechesis on the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum): The Word of God in the life of the Church. Here is a summary of what he said then:

On Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Pope Leo gave his third conference on the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum), discussing the relationship between Scripture and Tradition. Here is a summary of what he said on that occasion:

Pope Leo has dedicated his Wednesday conferences this year to the Documents of the Second Vatican Council. On January 14, 2026, he spoke about the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum, which presented the Church’s official teaching on the nature, transmission, and interpretation of divine revelation, with special emphasis on Sacred Scripture, Tradition, and the role of the Church. In Pope Leo’s conference on that day, he emphasized that God speaks to men and women as friends. Here is a summary of what he discussed that day:

Different Holy Fathers have used the Wednesday Angelus address as an opportunity to present their thoughts on significant topics. Pope St. John Paul II used the audiences as an opportunity to develop his now famous series on the Theology of the Body. Pope Benedict XVI used the Wednesday audience as a time to talk about the Apostles, the Fathers of the Church, Doctors of the Church, important Women in Church history. I have regularly assigned Benedict’s series on the Fathers and Doctors of the Church in my class on Patristics to those who are studying for the diaconate. I have been very impressed with how Pope Leo XIV is using his Wednesday talk to meet a real pastoral need as the years since the Vatican Council have increased and knowledge of what was taught in the various documents of Vatican II has diminished.

Pope Leo presided over Mass on August 29, 2026, at the Church of Maria Santissima del Lago in Castel Gandolfo—near his summer residence and place where he goes regularly on Tuesday (his day off). In his homily on that day, the Holy Father reflected on the beauty of “simple gestures” of devotion. He stressed that believing in God can become a pathway toward peace in a world that dismisses forgiveness as being naïve.

The World Day of Migrants and Refuges can be traced to an action undertaken by Pope Saint Pius X a few months before the outbreak of World War I. The Holy Father was deeply moved by the plight of millions of Italians who had migrated abroad, particularly to North and South America, since the beginning of the twentieth century. A few months later his successor, Pope Benedict XV instituted the Day of the Migrant to support pastoral outreach, particularly for Italian immigrants.

On August 11, 2026, Pope Leo released his Message for the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which the Church observes on September 27, 2026. Deborah Castellano Lubov, who writes for Vatican News, notes that a major theme of this year’s message is “Even one of these children,” which is taken from the Gospel of Matthew. Pope Leo admonishes his readers that the cries of the displaced should appeal to the conscience of all of us.

On September 24, 2015, Pope Francis visited a joint session of Congress and gave an address to the Senators and members of the House of Representatives. I think it gives us perspective on events taking place today. Let me start by quoting some remarks Pope Francis said to the Senators and Representatives gathered on that memorable Thursday:

On Tuesday, July 28, 2026, I attended a Mass of Solidarity at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Takoma Park. Cardinal Chibly Langlois of Les Cayes, Haiti, served as principal celebrant, joined by Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miani, Florida, Archbishop Roert G. Casey of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune, C.S., of Charleston, South Carolina, and ten priests.