Pope Leo XIV denounced political nationalism, exclusion, and indifference in his Pentecost homily on Sunday, warning that these forces fracture human fraternity and threaten peace in a divided world.
“Where there is love there is no room for prejudice, for the safety distances that distance us from our neighbor, for the logic of exclusion that we unfortunately see emerging also in political nationalisms,” the pontiff said during Mass at St. Peter’s Square on June 8.
The celebration marked both the Solemnity of Pentecost and the Jubilee of Movements, Associations, and New Communities, drawing thousands of faithful to the Vatican.
In his homily, Pope Leo called on Christians to allow the Holy Spirit to transform hearts and tear down the barriers that isolate individuals, communities, and nations.
“The Spirit breaks down borders and tears down the walls of indifference and hatred,” he said. “He teaches us all things… and engraves in our hearts the commandment of love, which the Lord has placed at the center and summit of everything.”
Reflecting on the Pentecost account in the Acts of the Apostles, the pope said the Holy Spirit transformed the Apostles’ fear and sorrow into courage, healing their wounds, freeing them from inner turmoil, and empowering them to go out and proclaim God’s works.
The pope emphasized that Pentecost marked the reversal of Babel’s division, bringing unity among people of diverse languages and backgrounds. He said the Holy Spirit transforms differences into a shared spiritual inheritance that fosters unity rather than conflict.
Pope Leo warned that despite the abundance of opportunities to connect in today’s digital age, many people remain isolated and inward-looking.
He lamented the paradox of being constantly connected yet unable to form meaningful relationships, describing a world where individuals are surrounded by others but remain “disoriented and solitary travellers,” incapable of genuine connection even while immersed in the crowd.
He urged the faithful to let the Spirit “open the frontiers first of all within us,” and to rediscover life as “a hospitable space,” beginning with honest self-encounter and a renewed relationship with God.
Addressing the growing normalization of violence in personal relationships, the pope expressed “great pain” over abuse and domination.
“I also think – with great pain – of when a relationship is infested by the desire to dominate the other, an attitude that often leads to violence, as unfortunately demonstrated by the numerous and recent cases of femicide,” he said.
Instead, he said, the Spirit nurtures the fruits of true relationships: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
The pope reminded the Church of its call to be an inclusive and welcoming community. He stressed that the Church fulfills its identity as the community of the Risen Christ only when it overcomes divisions and embraces dialogue.
True discipleship, he said, is marked by the ability to integrate differences and create a space where all are received with hospitality.
Pope Leo concluded with a prayer for peace, urging the faithful to resist global discord and conflict with the help of the Holy Spirit.
“May the strong wind of the Spirit come upon us and in us, open the frontiers of the heart, give us the grace of encounter with God, broaden the horizons of love and support our efforts to build a world in which peace reigns.”
