Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV led a deeply moving prayer vigil on Monday evening at St. Peter’s Basilica, reminding thousands of faithful that true consolation comes not from human strength but from a faith anchored firmly in Christ. The occasion marked the Jubilee of Consolation, a Holy Year event dedicated to those who have endured bereavement, suffering, or hardship.
Around 9,000 pilgrims filled the Basilica, many carrying personal wounds and losses, drawn by the Pope’s call to seek hope and healing through prayer. The Liturgy of the Word included two powerful testimonies from women who transformed personal tragedy into acts of reconciliation and faith.
Diane Foley, mother of American journalist James Foley, recounted the heart-wrenching journey following her son’s brutal death at the hands of the so-called Islamic State in 2014. She spoke of forgiveness and her decision to meet a former ISIS militant, emphasizing how faith led her to confront unimaginable pain without bitterness. Lucia Di Mauro Montanino, from Naples, shared how she and her daughter endured the violent loss of her husband, a security guard murdered by a gang of young men, underscoring the struggle to find meaning in tragedy.
In his reflection, Pope Leo spoke of the universal cry for comfort that echoes amid wars, violence, and personal suffering. “In times of darkness, even when all outward appearances suggest otherwise, God does not abandon us,” he affirmed. “Rather, in these very moments, we are invited to place our trust in the closeness of the Savior who never forsakes us.”
The Pope acknowledged that often, in grief, people search in vain for someone to console them. Sometimes, he said, only tears remain a form of consolation in themselves, a testimony to humanity’s fragility and longing for healing. He urged the faithful not to shy away from such tears, but to recognize them as silent prayers.
Turning to Scripture, Pope Leo reminded the faithful that questions about the existence of evil can become paths to deeper faith when transformed into petitions for justice and peace. “Consolation is found when faith stands firm and stable, where it was once unformed and hesitant like a boat in a storm,” he said. “Where there is evil, we must seek the comfort that overcomes it, leaving no space for its poison.”
Drawing upon the testimonies of Ms. Foley and Ms. Di Mauro Montanino, Pope Leo underlined that “pain must not give rise to violence.” He insisted that love, forgiveness, and mercy are the true answers to hatred. “Forgiveness offers us a foretaste of the Kingdom of God on earth,” he declared, “breaking the cycle of evil and establishing justice rooted in God’s mercy.”
The Pope also spoke with humility about the Church’s role, acknowledging the failures of some of its members. “The Church, some of whose members have unfortunately hurt you, kneels with you today before our mother. May we all learn from her to protect the most vulnerable with tenderness.”
In a deeply pastoral message, Pope Leo reassured the faithful that death does not erase the presence of their loved ones. “Our loved ones who have been separated from us by sister death are not lost and do not fade into the void,” he said. “Their lives belong to the Lord, the Good Shepherd, who embraces them and holds them close.”
Concluding his homily, the Pope called for an end to the suffering inflicted by wars, hunger, and violence, which continue to crush entire populations. “Even amid arrogance and cruelty,” he said, “God inspires hearts and hands to bring consolation to raise up peacemakers who comfort those in sorrow and offer hope to the brokenhearted.”
The Jubilee of Consolation thus became not only a moment of remembrance but also a summons: to reject despair, embrace faith, and allow divine mercy to transform grief into the power of forgiving love.