Pope Leo XIV on Sunday reflected on humility and freedom during his Angelus address at Saint Peter’s Square, linking the day’s Gospel to the need for authentic encounters and rejecting life’s competitive anxieties.
“In every culture, sitting at table together, especially on days of rest and celebration, is a sign of peace and communion,” the Pope said, drawing on the Gospel of Luke (14:1.7-14).
The pontiff warned against turning gatherings into contests for recognition, saying, “A moment for being together ends up as a competition.”
He underlined the importance of humility in Christian life. He said humility is “really freedom from ourselves,” adding that it is “born when the Kingdom of God and its righteousness become our real concern and we allow ourselves to lift up our eyes and look ahead: not down at our feet, but at what lies ahead!”
Pope Leo added that those who know they are “precious in God’s eyes” carry a dignity that “will appear, and we will come to the fore simply and effortlessly.”
He prayed that the Church would always be “a school of humility for everyone, a home where all are welcome, a place where rivalries are set aside.”
After Angelus
Following his catechesis, the Pope turned to global crises. He lamented the continuing war in Ukraine, noting fresh bombings in Kyiv that left “numerous casualties.”
“I strongly reiterate my urgent appeal for an immediate ceasefire and a serious commitment to dialogue. Now is the time for those responsible to renounce the logic of weapons and take the path of negotiation and peace, with the support of the international community,” he said.
He also expressed sorrow for the victims of a school shooting in Minnesota, urging prayers to “stop the pandemic of arms, large and small, which infects our world.”
Turning to migration, the Pope remembered the more than 50 people who died and around 100 still missing in a shipwreck off Mauritania. Calling the tragedy a daily reality, he urged societies to embody Christ’s words: “‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me’ (Mt 25:35).”
Creation and solidarity
Marking the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on September 1, the Pope highlighted its theme, “Seeds of Peace and Hope.”
He recalled that Pope Francis had instituted the observance ten years ago, “in harmony with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I,” and encouraged Christians to celebrate the Season of Creation until the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi on October 4.
“In the spirit of the Canticle of Brother Sun, which he composed 800 years ago, we praise God and renew our commitment not to ruin his gift but to care for our common home,” Pope Leo said.
