Pope Leo XIV urges the parish of the Sacred Heart in Rome to embody closeness and charity amid social tensions and inequality.
Newsroom (23/02/2026 Gaudium Press ) In the heart of Rome’s bustling Castro Pretorio district, steps away from the hum of Termini train station, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus stood still on Sunday morning as Pope Leo XIV paid a pastoral visit filled with powerful symbolism and quiet reflection. Amid the reality of hurried commuters and silent poverty, the Pope called the Church to be a “stronghold of charity” in what he called “the contradictions of our time.”
A dangling phone charger — likely once used by someone seeking warmth or power for a few hours — captured the image of forgotten humanity that Pope Leo sought to address. He urged the faithful to become “the yeast of the Gospel in the dough” of a world too often hardened by indifference, inviting them to weave closeness and charity into the social fabric of their neighborhood.
The Pope’s Arrival and Welcome
From the early morning hours of February 22, the atmosphere around Via Marsala was charged with anticipation. The courtyard of the basilica, framed by a white-and-gold banner reading “Welcome Pope Leo XIV,” filled with hundreds of faithful — children bundled in jackets, volunteers from parish associations, and members of religious congregations including the Salesian Sisters and the Franciscan Missionary Sisters.
At 8:15 a.m., applause broke out as the Pope entered the courtyard, greeting the crowd warmly. In moments both solemn and tender, he blessed a young couple preparing for marriage and took time with children and the poor. “How wonderful to see all these children here!” he exclaimed. “To live the joy of life — this is the beautiful gift the Lord gives us.”
Echoing the visit of Pope Francis to the same parish in 2014, Leo XIV praised the parish’s tradition of welcome: “We all know that the Lord wants to meet us, to welcome us, as much as this parish does. How beautiful it is to be in a place where everyone is welcome.”
A Parish Beating with the Heart of Christ
Standing before a crowd representing dozens of nationalities, the Pope reflected on the symbolic power of the parish’s name — the Sacred Heart of Jesus — describing it as “a symbol of love, of charity, of the boundless generosity of the Lord.” He emphasized that this generosity transcends identities, languages, and borders, describing the assembled faithful as “a living image of unity, communion, and brotherhood, which only Jesus can make possible.”
Addressing the Salesian community, the Pope expressed gratitude for their work with young people, for their “beautiful tradition of service and charity,” and for keeping alive the spirit of St. John Bosco, whose mission was guided by tireless compassion.
Rediscovering Freedom and Faith
Among the faithful were five catechumens preparing to receive the sacraments at Easter. Their presence, Pope Leo said, served as a sign of renewal for all. “We are called to rediscover the grace of Baptism as the source of life that dwells in us,” he preached, warning against the illusion of worldly freedom detached from God. “The drama of independence,” he said, “runs from the garden of Eden to the desert where Jesus was tempted. Can I live fully by saying ‘yes’ to God, or must I free myself from Him to be happy?”
His question framed the spiritual essence of Lent — a journey toward rediscovering true freedom through service, not self-assertion.
Service at the Crossroads of the City
In the heart of Castro Pretorio — a crossroads of students, workers, migrants, and refugees — the Pope’s message found tangible context. He acknowledged the Salesians’ outreach programs that foster cultural integration, distribute food to the homeless, and offer psychological and spiritual support to those in distress.
“Here,” the Pope observed, “one can touch the contradictions of our time: the carefree passing of commuters with all comforts beside those without a roof; the coexistence of great potential for good and widespread violence.” Echoes of Rome’s inequality, he suggested, make this place a testing ground for authentic charity.
Through these stories, the Pope called the community not only to welcome but also to accompany — to turn faith into concrete help. A church, he said, must not stop at the altar but extend its embrace “as a meal, as warm water, as a socket where one can connect for a few hours.”
A Gift of Hope
The Mass, concelebrated by Cardinal Baldo Reina, Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, and several Salesian leaders, concluded with a symbolic exchange. The parish priest, Father Javier Ortiz Rodriguez, presented the Pope with an icon of the Sacred Heart, calling the visit “a restart of a pastoral project like a high-speed train loaded with peace, hope, and Christian commitment.”
Before returning to the Vatican, Pope Leo visited the “Camerette di Don Bosco,” the small rooms where St. John Bosco once lived during his final trip to Rome in 1887, now preserved behind the choir of the basilica. He paused in silent prayer before the tabernacle, closing a morning that bridged past and present, faith and action, contemplation and service.
For this neighborhood — where wires hang loose and hearts remain open — Pope Leo XIV’s visit reaffirmed that charity, not isolation, remains the Church’s strongest current.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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