A few minutes before ten in the morning, Leo XIV set out in the popemobile to tour St. Peter’s Square. As he does every Wednesday during the audience, he stopped to bless many babies.
Afterward, the Pope continued the catechesis series for the Jubilee Year. In this instance, he reflected on Jesus' healing of Bartimaeus.
POPE LEO XIV
Many times, what blocks us are precisely our apparent securities—the things we’ve put on to protect ourselves but that instead prevent us from moving forward. To go to Jesus and allow himself to be healed, Bartimaeus must expose himself to Him in all his vulnerability. This is the fundamental step for any path of healing.
At the end of the audience, Pope Leo XIV offered words for the victims of the school shooting in Graz, which left at least ten dead.
POPE LEO XIV
I wish to assure my prayers for the victims of the tragedy that occurred at the school in Graz. I am close to the families, the teachers, and the classmates. May the Lord welcome these children into His peace.
Most of the victims were teenagers from this secondary school. All indications suggest that the alleged perpetrator was a 21-year-old former student who took his own life after the attack.
CA
Trans. CRT
