Castel Gandolfo: In an inspiring address delivered to members of various religious congregations, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the faithful to embrace the “marvelous adventure” of drawing ever closer to Christ. The Holy Father, currently on his summer retreat at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, met with participants of the General Chapters from several institutes including the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (P.I.M.E.), the Religious Teachers Filippini, the Religious Teachers Venerini, the Daughters of the Church, the Salesian Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart, and the Franciscan Sisters of St. Angela.
Although papal engagements in the tranquil lakeside town are typically minimal, Pope Leo made a special exception to personally welcome these religious men and women. He expressed heartfelt gratitude for their tireless service and witness in diverse parts of the world, highlighting the rich spiritual inheritance left by their Founders and Foundresses, who were “docile to the Holy Spirit” and gave rise to a range of charisms for building up the Church.
The Pope reflected on how each of their congregations contributes uniquely to the life and mission of the Church—whether through evangelization, education, the preservation of faith, or acts of loving self-gift in communion with Christ. Despite their differences, he emphasized, they all bear witness to a singular truth: the boundless love of God for humanity.
Inviting the congregations to prayerfully revisit their charisms with fresh perspective and discernment, Pope Leo affirmed that such spiritual reflection is essential to keeping their legacy relevant in today’s world. He urged deep listening to the Spirit, to one another, and to the needs of the people they serve.
Quoting his predecessor Benedict XVI, Pope Leo reminded them that the Holy Spirit, through the guidance of Church leaders and the collective wisdom of the faithful, enables the Christian community “to walk in charity toward the full truth.” He called on the religious to renew their missionary zeal, to adopt Christ’s own humility and compassion, to anchor their hope in God, and to carry the flame of the Spirit as peacemakers and co-workers in the local Churches.
In particular, the Pope highlighted the beauty of communal religious life, calling it a "shared adventure of discipleship." He said that recognizing this unity helps deepen their joy in being part of the Church’s mission and encourages them to think boldly during their Chapter deliberations, as instruments in a divine plan far greater than themselves.
That divine plan, Pope Leo emphasized, is God's vision to reunite all people in His love, forming one great family in Christ. The Pope likened each of them to small lights in a vast world, called to spread the eternal radiance of Christ’s light to every corner of the earth.
Concluding his address, the Holy Father imparted his Apostolic Blessing and invited everyone to join him in invoking the Holy Spirit the divine teacher and comforter acknowledging that without His grace, even prayer itself becomes beyond our strength. In this spirit of trust and joyful surrender, Pope Leo called on all religious to continue their journey with courage, unity, and unwavering faith in the One who leads them.