Blab News
Pope Leo XIV Calls Gospels Compassion to Counter Evil, Reflects on Beatifications and Spain Visit
From the vaulted window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV delivered his weekly Angelus address on Sunday, June 14, 2026, inviting the faithful to a fresh look at the Gospel’s message of mercy.
He opened by summarising Matthew’s reading, noting that it “brings us a great gift, for it draws all who hear it into Jesus’ gaze.” The pope highlighted Christ’s compassion for the harassed and helpless, observing that the Gospel reveals how Jesus “sees the oppression that burdens and the violence that causes strength to fade.” He extended this vision to contemporary wounds—war, consumerism, masked faces, fractured families, and a generation led astray by false ideals—emphasising that Jesus “loves and suffers for and with us,” and that His compassion “expresses not only fraternal closeness, but his desire to redeem.”
Linking the passage to the Church’s mission, the pope remarked that Christ “remains near and sends workers into the field of the world.” He asked what these workers must do and answered that they should “offer God’s comfort to those who suffer by bringing charity where there is misery, hope where there is affliction, faith where there is distrust.” Recalling the first twelve workers—his disciples—he concluded that the Good News “has always been young, fresh, and liberating: ‘The Kingdom of Heaven has come near!’” The pope added that the Gospel is not only proclaimed but also lived, and that when it is, “evil crumbles like a disease that passes away.”
He urged the Church to continue the apostles’ mission, citing Jesus’ words: “You received without payment; give without payment.” Evangelisation, he said, springs from God’s gift, becoming forgiveness for the world, service to the least and the poor, and a commitment to justice.
Reflecting on his recent apostolic journey to Spain from June 6 to 12, the pope thanked God for the visit and expressed gratitude to the Spanish people for their enthusiasm and devotion. He specifically thanked King Felipe VI, the bishops, the communities he visited, and the entire Church in Spain, wishing God’s blessings upon the country.
Beatifications also featured in the address. Pope Leo XIV recalled the beatification of four martyrs—diocesan priests Václav Drbola and Jan Bula of Moravia, and Jan Šwierc and eight companions, Polish Salesian priests—who were honoured as martyrs, victims of persecution by totalitarian regimes because of their fidelity to Christ. He mentioned Nazareno Lanciotti, a Roman missionary priest beatified on Saturday in Mato Grosso, Brazil, who defended the poorest in the name of the Gospel.
Finally, the pope expressed his closeness to the people of the Philippines, struck a few days earlier by a powerful earthquake. He said he prays for the deceased and their families, for the wounded, and for all those suffering because of the disaster.
The Angelus address was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian‑language sister service of EWTN News, and translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
The address underscores Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on compassion, evangelisation, and the Church’s role in addressing contemporary social wounds, while highlighting his recent diplomatic outreach in Spain and his concern for disaster‑affected communities.
He opened by summarising Matthew’s reading, noting that it “brings us a great gift, for it draws all who hear it into Jesus’ gaze.” The pope highlighted Christ’s compassion for the harassed and helpless, observing that the Gospel reveals how Jesus “sees the oppression that burdens and the violence that causes strength to fade.” He extended this vision to contemporary wounds—war, consumerism, masked faces, fractured families, and a generation led astray by false ideals—emphasising that Jesus “loves and suffers for and with us,” and that His compassion “expresses not only fraternal closeness, but his desire to redeem.”
Linking the passage to the Church’s mission, the pope remarked that Christ “remains near and sends workers into the field of the world.” He asked what these workers must do and answered that they should “offer God’s comfort to those who suffer by bringing charity where there is misery, hope where there is affliction, faith where there is distrust.” Recalling the first twelve workers—his disciples—he concluded that the Good News “has always been young, fresh, and liberating: ‘The Kingdom of Heaven has come near!’” The pope added that the Gospel is not only proclaimed but also lived, and that when it is, “evil crumbles like a disease that passes away.”
He urged the Church to continue the apostles’ mission, citing Jesus’ words: “You received without payment; give without payment.” Evangelisation, he said, springs from God’s gift, becoming forgiveness for the world, service to the least and the poor, and a commitment to justice.
Reflecting on his recent apostolic journey to Spain from June 6 to 12, the pope thanked God for the visit and expressed gratitude to the Spanish people for their enthusiasm and devotion. He specifically thanked King Felipe VI, the bishops, the communities he visited, and the entire Church in Spain, wishing God’s blessings upon the country.
Beatifications also featured in the address. Pope Leo XIV recalled the beatification of four martyrs—diocesan priests Václav Drbola and Jan Bula of Moravia, and Jan Šwierc and eight companions, Polish Salesian priests—who were honoured as martyrs, victims of persecution by totalitarian regimes because of their fidelity to Christ. He mentioned Nazareno Lanciotti, a Roman missionary priest beatified on Saturday in Mato Grosso, Brazil, who defended the poorest in the name of the Gospel.
Finally, the pope expressed his closeness to the people of the Philippines, struck a few days earlier by a powerful earthquake. He said he prays for the deceased and their families, for the wounded, and for all those suffering because of the disaster.
The Angelus address was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian‑language sister service of EWTN News, and translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
The address underscores Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on compassion, evangelisation, and the Church’s role in addressing contemporary social wounds, while highlighting his recent diplomatic outreach in Spain and his concern for disaster‑affected communities.
