Vatican City: At his weekly General Audience, Pope Leo XIV delivered a message of both comfort and challenge, reminding the faithful that even in moments of weakness and betrayal, God’s love never ceases. Speaking inside the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall due to Rome’s sweltering heat, the Holy Father said that genuine sorrow, when embraced sincerely, can open the door to conversion and joy.
The Pope continued his catechesis series on Christ Our Hope, focusing on Jesus’ words at the Last Supper “One of you will betray me.” He explained that Jesus did not speak these words to condemn, but to awaken reflection and invite each heart to examine itself. “The journey of salvation begins,” he said, “when we admit our fragility and open ourselves to His mercy.”
Pope Leo stressed that this sorrow should not lead to despair, but to renewal. “If we recognize our limits and allow ourselves to be touched by the pain of Christ, we can be reborn. Faith does not spare us from sin, but always offers the way out mercy.”
He also warned against excluding ourselves from salvation through betrayal of love, reminding the faithful that God’s table of love remains open even for those who fail Him. “Even if we betray Him, He never stops loving us. If we allow ourselves to be touched by this faithful love, we can truly live again as His children.”
In closing, Pope Leo made a heartfelt appeal to Polish pilgrims to “implore God for peace for all nations enduring the tragedy of war,” invoking the intercession of St. Maximilian Kolbe ahead of his feast day.