This weekend Pope Leo XIV visited Pavia to mark the 75th anniversary of the Convention relating the Status of Refugees. The following day, he spoke about the trip during his Angelus.
POPE LEO XIV
I hope that the spirit that inspired the drafting of this important international instrument may also continue to enlighten the consciences of national leaders today. No one can turn a blind eye to those who are seeking protection and safety. I also urge everyone to welcome those who are victims of persecution so that they may live in peace, with dignity, and look to the future with hope.
A few minutes earlier, the pope reflected on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, and on the difficult situations that many Christians faced, and continue to face.
POPE LEO XIV
Saint Matthew — the author of the biblical passage that we mentioned — wrote for communities whose lives were not easy. They had to face hostility and persecution, as so many Christians still do today in various parts of the world. The temptation to become discouraged and to let weariness or fear get the better of them was great.
The pope also prayed for the victims of a bus crash in Brazil. Several members of a youth basketball team were among those killed.
