Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV called on the faithful of Burundi to maintain hope and work for a better world during a meeting with members of the Fraternity of Monsignor Courtney ahead of his General Audience on Wednesday.

The Fraternity is dedicated to preserving the memory of Archbishop Michael Aidan Courtney, the Apostolic Nuncio to Burundi who was tragically killed in 2003 amid the country’s civil war. Archbishop Courtney was ambushed and shot while returning to the capital, Bujumbura, after attending a funeral, becoming the first nuncio to die as a result of violence in 500 years.

During his address, Pope Leo recalled the theme of Jubilee 2025, placing hope at the centre of the Church’s mission. “Now our Hope is Jesus Christ! He, and He alone, is the Hope of the Church and of the entire world!” he said. He commended the pilgrims’ “act of faith” in undertaking their journey to Rome to encounter Jesus and “place Him once again at the centre of our lives and of the life of the world.”

The Pope encouraged the members of the Fraternity to return to their daily commitments strengthened in hope and ready to work for the integral development of every person in accordance with the Gospel.

Pope Leo expressed gratitude for the Fraternity’s dedication to Archbishop Courtney’s memory, noting their work for the vulnerable and their commitment to peace in Burundi. He praised initiatives such as the construction of a health centre in Archbishop Courtney’s honour, daily acts of charity, and the establishment of a memorial at the site where the nuncio was killed. Earlier this year, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin blessed the monument and laid the foundation stone of the health centre.

Concluding his address, the Pope urged the pilgrims to “keep the hope for a better world alive” and assured them that their efforts, united with Christ, would bear fruit. He entrusted the pilgrims and the nation of Burundi to the protection of Our Lady of the Rosary and imparted his Apostolic Blessing.