Pope Leo XIV to lead All Saints’ Mass, declare Newman doctor of Church; All Souls’ at Rome cemetery, Mass for Pope Francis Nov 1–3.
Newsroom (31/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) Pope Leo XIV will mark the solemnities of All Saints’ and All Souls’ this weekend with three consecutive papal Masses in Rome, including the historic declaration of St. John Henry Newman as a doctor of the Church.
On Saturday, Nov. 1, the Solemnity of All Saints, the pontiff will preside over a 10:30 a.m. Mass in St. Peter’s Square, during which he will formally proclaim the 19th-century English cardinal a doctor of the Church. The liturgy coincides with the Vatican’s Jubilee of Education, launched earlier in the week, and is expected to draw tens of thousands of pilgrims.
All Saints’ Day honors all who have attained the beatific vision in heaven, including both canonized saints and those known only to God.
Following the Mass, Pope Leo will lead the Angelus at noon from the window of the Apostolic Palace, a customary practice on holy days of obligation. Because the solemnity falls on a Saturday this year, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has dispensed American Catholics from the obligation to attend Mass.
On Sunday, Nov. 2, All Souls’ Day, Pope Leo will celebrate a 4 p.m. Mass at Campo Verano, Rome’s largest cemetery, near the Basilica of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls. The visit continues a tradition established by his predecessor, Pope Francis, who offered Mass at a different cemetery each year on the commemoration.
Prior to the cemetery Mass, Pope Leo will lead the Angelus at noon from the Apostolic Palace.
On Monday, Nov. 3, at 11 a.m., the pope will offer Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis, who died in April, and for bishops and cardinals who have died in the past year. The liturgy follows a longstanding papal custom of commemorating deceased Church leaders at the start of November, a month dedicated to praying for the dead.
All Souls’ Day is observed annually as a day of prayer for all the faithful departed, particularly those in purgatory undergoing final purification before entering heaven. The Church urges the faithful to offer prayers, sacrifices, and Masses on their behalf.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, celebrated All Souls’ Day at Campo Verano for the first three years of his papacy before visiting other sites, including the Roman catacombs, a World War II cemetery for American personnel, and a cemetery for unborn children.
Pope Leo XIV, the former Augustinian missionary and Peruvian bishop Robert Prevost, brings a personal connection to cemetery traditions. For two decades in Peru, he witnessed Catholics marking All Souls’ Day by cleaning and decorating tombs with flowers and candles while praying for deceased loved ones — customs echoed in Latin America’s broader observance, including Mexico’s Día de los Muertos on Nov. 1–2.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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