Vatican City: At the final General Audience of 2025, Pope Leo XIV invited the faithful to pause at the turning of the year with gratitude, honesty, and trust in God. As the Church moves from the old year into the new, he called on believers to thank God for blessings received, seek forgiveness for shortcomings, and place the future in God’s merciful hands.
Speaking on Wednesday, the Pope reflected on a year marked by both joy and pain. He recalled moments of grace, including the pilgrimage of countless faithful during the Holy Year, alongside sorrowful events such as the death of Pope Francis and the ongoing wars that continue to wound many parts of the world. Because of these contrasts, he said, the Church gathers every joy and suffering before God, asking Him to renew His grace and mercy in the days ahead.
Pope drew attention to the long standing tradition of singing the Te Deum on the evening of December 31. This prayer, he explained, expresses true thanksgiving that looks beyond self interest. Quoting Pope Francis, he noted that while worldly gratitude often focuses on personal gain, the Church’s prayer creates an atmosphere of praise, wonder, and sincere gratitude. Such thanksgiving, he added, also calls for an honest examination of conscience and a humble request for forgiveness.
Turning to the theme of pilgrimage, Pope Leo said the Jubilee year highlighted life itself as a journey. Pilgrims from around the world came to pray at the tomb of Peter, a sign that human life is a path leading beyond time and space to an encounter with God. This hope is voiced, he said, in the Church’s prayer to be led with the saints into everlasting glory.
He also reflected on the meaning of passing through the Holy Door, a gesture made by many during the Jubilee. Crossing that threshold, the Pope said, is a yes to God’s invitation to begin anew, shaped by forgiveness, grace, and the Gospel. Citing Pope Paul VI, he stressed that this renewed life is rooted in love for every neighbour, including those who may seem distant or difficult, yet always remain brothers and sisters in dignity.
In the light of Christmas, Pope recalled the words of Saint Leo the Great, who spoke of the Nativity as a call to joy for all. The saint, the sinner, and the weak are all invited to rejoice, because forgiveness, renewal, and hope are offered to everyone.
Concluding his catechesis, Pope Leo remembered how Pope Paul VI summed up the Jubilee of 1975 with a single word: love. God is love, mercy, forgiveness, and life, he said. He prayed that this message would accompany the faithful not only into the new year, but throughout their lives.