On May 24, 2025, Pope Leo XIV held his first audience with approximately 5,000 Vatican employees and their families in the Paul VI Audience Hall.
Newsroom (26/05/2025 Gaudiumpress) During this gathering, he reinstated the traditional €500 bonus for employees, a practice previously discontinued by Pope Francis. This gesture was met with enthusiastic applause from the attendees. In his address, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the enduring role of the Roman Curia, stating: “Popes pass, the Curia remains. This applies to every particular Church, for the episcopal Curias. And it also applies to the Curia of the Bishop of Rome.”
He highlighted the importance of memory within the Church’s institutions: “Memory is an essential element in a living organism. It is not only directed to the past, but nourishes the present and guides the future. Without memory, the path is lost, it loses its sense of direction.”
Reflecting on his own journey, Pope Leo XIV shared: “As you know, I arrived only two years ago, when our beloved Pope Francis appointed me as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. Then I left the diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru, and came to work here.”
He also underscored the significance of faith and prayer in daily work: “Each one contributes by carrying out their daily tasks with commitment—and also with faith, because faith and prayer are like salt in food: they give it flavour.”
Concluding his remarks, Pope Leo XIV encouraged employees to foster unity and harmony in their roles, reminding them that their work supports the mission of the Church.
Compiled by Gustavo Kralj with Vatican News files.
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