Pope Leo XIV recalled Pope Francis during a Mass celebrated in memory of his predecessor, as well as all the cardinals and bishops who passed away over the past year.
The main theme of his homily was Christian hope, understood as the driving force of the resurrection. The pontiff emphasized that all of those who had passed, especially Pope Francis, were witnesses of this hope.
POPE LEO XIV
Original Italian
Pope Francis, who passed away after opening the Holy Door and imparting to Rome and to the world the Easter Blessing. Thanks to the Jubilee, this celebration, my first, takes on a special tone: the flavor of Christian hope.
In addition, Pope Leo offered a few words of comfort for all those who have ever lost a loved one, especially a child.
POPE LEO XIV
Original Italian
We are certainly grieved when a loved one leaves us. We are shocked when a human being, especially a child, a ‘little one,’ someone fragile, is taken away by illness or, worse still, by human violence. As Christians, we are called to carry these crosses together with Christ!
It is tradition for the pope to celebrate a Mass each year in memory of the cardinals and bishops who died during the previous year, coinciding with the Feast of All Souls.
This year, 2025, the celebration was particularly moving: eight cardinals and 134 bishops passed away, along with his predecessor, Pope Francis.
Trans. CRT
