On this Sunday’s Angelus, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the Gospel of Luke and the events that unsettle the world. In the face of wars, persecutions, and calamities, the Pontiff invited the faithful not to let themselves be dominated by fear and to live this time as an opportunity to give Christian witness. He emphasized that persecution—physical or ideological—cannot extinguish hope, and he recalled that constancy in faith is the path that saves and sustains the Church in every era.
We leave below the complete message of the Holy Father:
Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!
As the liturgical year draws to a close, today’s Gospel (Lc 21,5-19) invites us to reflect on the vicissitudes of history and the end of things. Since Jesus knows our hearts, in contemplating these events he invites us above all not to be overcome by fear: «When you hear of wars and revolutions —he says— do not be alarmed» (v. 9).
His call is very timely. Unfortunately, every day we receive news of conflicts, calamities, and persecutions that torment millions of men and women. However, both in the face of these afflictions and the indifference that seeks to ignore them, the words of Jesus proclaim that the aggression of evil cannot destroy the hope of those who trust in Him. The darker the night, the more faith shines like the sun.
Christ, in fact, states twice that «because of my Name» many will suffer violence and betrayal (v. 12.17), but precisely then they will have the opportunity to give witness (cf. v. 13). Following the example of the Master, who on the cross revealed the immensity of his love, such an invitation concerns us all. The persecution of Christians, in fact, does not only occur with weapons and mistreatment, but also with words, that is, through lies and ideological manipulation. Above all, when we are oppressed by these evils, physical and moral, we are called to bear witness to the truth that saves the world, to the justice that redeems peoples from oppression, to the hope that points out to all the path of peace.
In his prophetic style, the words of Jesus testify that the disasters and pains of history have an end, while the joy of those who recognize in Him the Savior is destined to last forever. «By your perseverance you will gain your lives» (v. 19), this promise of the Lord instills in us the strength to resist the threatening events of history and every offense; let us not remain powerless before suffering, because He himself gives us «wisdom and eloquence» (v. 15) to always do good with a fervent heart.
Dear brothers and sisters, throughout the entire history of the Church, it is above all the martyrs who remind us that the grace of God is capable of transfiguring even violence into a sign of redemption. For this reason, uniting ourselves to our brothers and sisters who suffer for the name of Jesus, let us confidently seek the intercession of Mary, help of Christians. May the Holy Virgin console and sustain us in every trial and difficulty.