The Pope called on the Church to rekindle its “missionary vocation” by welcoming refugees, bearing hope in an era of unprecedented human suffering.
Newsroom (06/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) In a poignant homily marking the Jubilee of the Missions and Migrants, Pope Leo XIV called on the global Catholic Church to rekindle its “missionary vocation” by welcoming refugees and displaced people not as burdens, but as bearers of hope in an era of unprecedented human suffering.
Speaking to pilgrims gathered at St. Peter’s Basilica, the pontiff framed migration as a modern echo of the Gospel’s call to “go forth,” drawing parallels between today’s perilous sea crossings and the biblical “places of salvation” traversed by God’s people. “Those boats which hope to catch sight of a safe port, and those eyes filled with anguish and hope seeking to reach the shore, cannot and must not find the coldness of indifference or the stigma of discrimination,” Leo XIV declared, his voice steady amid the applause of the multilingual crowd.
The address, delivered on the feast day amid Rome’s Jubilee Year celebrations, wove together Scripture, papal predecessors’ wisdom, and a stark acknowledgment of global crises — from war-torn peripheries to the “depths of perplexity and desperation” shadowing technological progress. Referencing the prophet Habakkuk’s ancient lament — “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?” — the Pope confronted the seeming silence of God in the face of evil, a theme he linked to Pope Benedict XVI’s reflections on Auschwitz.
“God seems so distant, so forgetful, so absent,” Leo XIV quoted Benedict as saying in a 2011 catechesis. Yet, he pivoted to hope, invoking Habakkuk’s assurance that “the righteous live by their faith.” Faith, he said, is no triumphant force but a “lowly strength” — as small as a mustard seed — that transforms lives into instruments of salvation through quiet acts of compassion.
At the heart of the homily was a redefinition of mission in the 21st century. Long tied to “departing” for distant lands, Leo XIV argued, evangelization today demands “remaining” amid the influx of migrants fleeing violence and poverty. “The frontiers of the missions are no longer geographical, because poverty, suffering and the desire for a greater hope have made their way to us,” he said, echoing Pope Francis’s Evangelii Gaudium exhortation to preach the Gospel “to all places, on all occasions, without hesitation, reluctance or fear.”
The Pope praised “missionary men and women, believers and people of good will” already fostering a “new culture of fraternity” beyond stereotypes, but insisted the call extends to all. He outlined two key tasks: bolstering “missionary cooperation” among churches — welcoming Southern Hemisphere faithful in the West while respecting local cultures abroad — and igniting fresh vocations, especially among Europe’s youth.
“In the communities of ancient Christian tradition, such as those of the West, the presence of many brothers and sisters from the world’s South should be welcomed as an opportunity,” Leo XIV said, urging an exchange that renews the Church’s vitality. He also spotlighted the need for laypeople, religious, and priests to volunteer in mission territories, calling for innovative programs to nurture that desire.
Leo XIV’s words come at a time when migration has surged globally, with conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Africa displacing millions. Vatican sources noted the homily’s resonance with ongoing synodal discussions on synodality and inclusion, as well as the Church’s advocacy for humanitarian corridors and anti-trafficking efforts.
Concluding with a personal appeal, the Pope blessed local clergy, missionaries, and those discerning vocations, then turned to migrants directly: “Know that you are always welcome! The seas and deserts that you have crossed, Scripture calls ‘places of salvation,’ in which God makes himself present to save his people.”
He entrusted the faithful to Mary, “the first of her Son’s missionaries,” invoking her haste to serve Elizabeth as a model for building Christ’s “Kingdom of love, justice and peace.”
As the Jubilee Year progresses, Leo XIV’s message signals a Church poised not just to endure a “new missionary age,” but to lead it — one open hand, one shared story at a time.
The full homily can be read here
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican.va
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