Pope Leo XIV called on the faithful to embrace a vision of the Church as a united, humble, and synodal community, rooted in love rather than power
Newsroom (27/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) In a homily delivered on the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Pope Leo XIV called on the faithful to embrace a vision of the Church as a united, humble, and synodal community, rooted in love rather than power. Speaking to a congregation gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica to mark the Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies, the pontiff drew on the Gospel parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector to underscore the importance of humility, communion, and collective discernment in the life of the Church.
Reflecting on the Second Vatican Council’s teaching, Pope Leo described the Church as “the visible sign of the union between God and humanity,” a family of beloved children united in God’s love. He emphasized that synodal teams and participatory bodies embody this communion, rejecting the “worldly logic” of power for one of service and mutual listening. “The supreme rule in the Church is love,” he declared. “No one is called to dominate; all are called to serve. No one is excluded; we are all called to participate.”
The Pope critiqued the self-absorption of the Pharisee in the Gospel, whose prayer was more about self-praise than communion with God or others. He warned that such individualism and superiority can fracture Christian communities, creating division and exclusion. In contrast, he pointed to the humility of the tax collector as a model for the Church, urging believers to recognize their mutual dependence on God and one another. “We are all in need of God and of one another,” he said, calling for a Church that listens, serves, and walks together.
Quoting Pope Francis’ Lenten Message from February 2025, Pope Leo reiterated the call to “journey together” as a synodal Church, walking alongside others rather than as “lone travelers.” He praised synodal teams for fostering dialogue, fraternity, and openness, which he said help navigate tensions within the Church—between unity and diversity, tradition and novelty, authority and participation. These tensions, he noted, should not become ideological divisions but opportunities for the Holy Spirit to guide the Church toward harmony and discernment.
The Pope also referenced the Final Document of the Synod (October 26, 2024), emphasizing that ecclesial discernment requires “interior freedom, humility, prayer, mutual trust, an openness to the new and a surrender to the will of God.” He urged the faithful to seek truth collectively, guided by a “restless heart in love with Love.”
In a poignant vision for the future, Pope Leo called for a “more humble Church” that bends down to “wash the feet of humanity” and remains a welcoming space for all. He invoked the intercession of the Virgin Mary, quoting the Servant of God Don Tonino Bello to pray for a Church free from discord and factionalism, committed to unity and common purpose.
The homily concluded with a heartfelt plea: “May the Lord grant us this grace: to be rooted in God’s love so that we may live in communion with one another and be, as a Church, witnesses of unity and love.” As the Jubilee celebration continues, Pope Leo’s message resonates as a call to renew the Church’s mission through humility, service, and synodal collaboration.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican.va
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