Vatican City: On the feast of Pentecost, celebrated this past Sunday in the heart of St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV delivered a powerful homily affirming the continuing transformative power of the Holy Spirit. Drawing from the Upper Room experience of the Apostles, the Pope emphasized how the Spirit renews lives today just as He did two thousand years ago — by breaking through fear, softening hardened hearts, and empowering believers to live boldly in Christ.

Describing the descent of the Holy Spirit as a force “like a mighty wind that overtakes us, a crash that awakens us, and a fire that enlightens us,” the Holy Father spoke to thousands gathered for both Pentecost Sunday and the Jubilee of Ecclesial Movements, Associations, and New Communities.

Reflecting on the experience of the disciples following Christ’s crucifixion, Pope Leo XIV recalled their fear and isolation, “locked away behind closed doors.” But at Pentecost, he said, everything changed: “The Holy Spirit tore down their inner prisons, anointed their wounds, and filled them with strength to proclaim the Gospel fearlessly.”

He highlighted that the same Spirit continues to act today — confronting our private insecurities and self-imposed limitations. “The Holy Spirit still descends upon us, breaking the chains of fear and self-centeredness. He shatters what confines us internally and gives us new vision and vitality,” he said.

Pope Leo stressed the theme of “opening borders,” a phrase he borrowed from Pope Benedict XVI’s 2005 Pentecost homily, which described how the Spirit reversed the division of Babel. “The Spirit,” said Pope Leo, “unites where there was confusion, reconciles where there was separation, and opens hearts where once there were walls.”

He explained that the Spirit not only expands the human heart but also challenges it. “He disturbs our comfort zones, reshapes our rigidity, and draws us into deeper communion with others,” the Pope said, adding that true openness begins within — by facing our own inner darkness and pride.

Delving further into the Spirit’s role, Pope Leo XIV spoke of how the Spirit leads believers to encounter their most authentic selves and the love of God. “He strips away the masks we wear, dismantles our selfish impulses, and convinces us that only through love can we live a faithful life.”

That love, he emphasized, must be visible not only in personal piety but also in relationships with others. The Spirit, he said, empowers the faithful to transcend prejudices, suspicion, and the desire to control — all of which, he warned, poison human relationships.

Pope Leo voiced particular concern over rising social violence, especially cases of femicide, which he described as tragic results of relationships rooted in domination rather than mutual respect.

The Pope urged the Church to view Pentecost as a mirror. “We are truly the Church of the Risen Lord,” he said, “only if we are a Church without divisions, one that is open to dialogue, reconciliation, and radical hospitality.”

This unity, according to Pope Leo, must extend beyond parish walls. “The breath of God,” he said, “must blow down the barriers between peoples, destroy the walls of indifference and hate, and plant seeds of fraternity.”

Closing his homily, Pope Leo XIV invoked the Blessed Virgin Mary and prayed:
"May the strong wind of the Spirit come upon us and within us. May He open the locked rooms of our hearts, broaden the horizons of our love, and strengthen our resolve to build a world where peace and unity reign."

As the vibrant red vestments of the clergy and the global expressions of Pentecost — from Italy’s rose petals to Russia’s green branches — adorned the Church worldwide, the message from St. Peter’s echoed loud and clear: Pentecost is not just a memory; it is a living movement of renewal.