Before the recitation of the Angelus in Saint Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV recalled the “great celebration” to which the human family is destined—so different from the tragedies it endures because of present injustices. He also greeted the Delegation of the Church of England, in Rome for the proclamation of Saint John Henry Newman as a Doctor of the Church.

By Edoardo Giribaldi

Before leading the recitation of the Angelus, Pope Leo XIV recalled how the mystery of the communion of saints is a living memory that “we breathe in deeply today” and brings to mind the great celebration for which humanity is destined. Yet, as we await it, this hope is stifled by the conflicts and injustices of the present time—challenges that the human family is called to face by becoming builders of fraternity.

On the Solemnity of All Saints, speaking before the recitation of the Angelus in Saint Peter’s Square, Pope Leo drew a parallel between the joyful realities of the future and the urgent issues of the present. Today’s Solemnity directs our gaze toward the “future reality” of heaven—a joy shared with God, present in all, “recognizing and admiring the multifaceted beauty of faces, all different and all resembling the face of Christ.” This vision, he said, stands in sharp and painful contrast with the current tragedies of the world, whose healing the Pope entrusted to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the Saints.

Greetings to the Delegation of the Church of England

Before leading the Marian prayer, the Pope welcomed and greeted the Delegation of the Church of England, led by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell. Their presence, he said, rekindled the “joy” shared just a few days ago during the “historic prayer meeting” with King Charles III of England in the Sistine Chapel. He expressed his hope that the newly proclaimed Doctor of the Church, Saint John Henry Newman, would “accompany Christians on their journey towards full union.”

Solidarity of the “Race of the Saints”

Finally, the Pope greeted the young participants of the Race of the Saints marathon, an event that unites “sport and solidarity with the most disadvantaged children.” Now in its seventeenth edition and promoted by Missioni Don Bosco, the race winds through the heart of Rome’s historic center. This year, on the occasion of the Jubilee, the route holds special significance, linking the four Papal Basilicas of the Eternal City.