What the Pope Said This Week

Jason Scott’s weekly review of Pope Leo XIV’s audiences –

30 November — Video Message to the Australian Catholic Youth Festival

On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV addressed the 2025 Australian Catholic Youth Festival via video message, encouraging young Catholics to embrace courage, mission and hope. He reminded them that they are not simply “future leaders” but active protagonists of the Church today:

“Young people, you are not the future, you are the present. Do not be afraid to dream; the world needs your dreams, your courage, your hope.”
“Finding one’s place in the world seems to be even harder today, as societies are constantly changing, traditional values are frequently looked down upon, and technology, while containing positive elements, can also leave us more isolated from each other.”

He invited the youth to live faith boldly, generously and imaginatively.

1 December — Apostolic Visit to Lebanon (Meeting with Clergy & Ecumenical Encounter)

On Monday, during his visit to Lebanon, Pope Leo met with Catholic clergy, religious and pastoral workers. He urged ministers to root their mission in presence, compassion and mercy:

“Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, your ministry is not an office — it is a service of love. The people entrusted to you need not elegant structures, but a heart that listens, a hand that guides, a presence that consoles.”
“Do not let yourselves be paralysed by fear or resignation. The Lord entrusts to you the task of building peace, through gestures of mercy, forgiveness and fraternity.”

Later, at an ecumenical meeting with Christian communities, he stressed:

“Christian unity is not a diplomatic achievement but a gift of the Spirit. In a land marked by wounds, division and fatigue, our common witness becomes a sign of hope.”

Leo painted a vision of a Church close to people — wounded with the world’s pain, but anchored in faith and solidarity.

2 December — Visit to “De La Croix” Hospital, Beirut

On Tuesday, Pope Leo visited the psychiatric hospital “De La Croix” in Beirut, meeting patients, caregivers and religious staff. Reflecting on human dignity and fragility, he said:

“We cannot build a world of speed and efficiency at the expense of those who suffer, whose cry often goes unheard… We are called to treat every human life — fragile or strong — with dignity, mercy and patience.”
“Your skilled and compassionate presence and your care for the sick are a tangible sign of the merciful love of Christ.”
“You are close to the heart of God our Father… To each of you … the Lord says again today: I love you, I care for you, you are my child. Never forget this.”

By his presence and words, the Pope underscored the Church’s call to stand with the most vulnerable, recognising their dignity and value.

5 December — Addresses: Social Ethics Conference; Paris Formation Course; Artists & Musicians Gathering

On Friday, the Pope delivered multiple addresses: To participants in a social-ethics conference, attendees of a faith-formation course in Paris, and a community of artists and musicians. Among his reflections:

“A society that forgets justice and the dignity of every person — young or old, rich or poor — destroys its own soul. Christian faith demands solidarity, fairness and a culture that upholds human dignity.”
“Art does not distract from faith — when authentic, it opens the soul, raises questions, heals wounds and reveals truth that logic alone cannot reach.”

He insisted that justice, solidarity, culture and faith must work together — that the Church’s mission includes social commitment, formation of consciences, and renewal of culture through beauty and truth.

Take-Away Points

-The youth of the Church are called to hope, creativity and courage now.
-In Lebanon, Leo’s call to clergy and Christians is pastoral and urgent: unity, mercy, presence over structures.
-Every human life, especially the marginalised and suffering, holds sacred dignity.
-Faith must engage social justice, intellectual formation and cultural renewal together

Sources:
2025-11-30 – https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/messages/pont-messages/2025/documents/20251130-videomessaggio-acyf.html
2025-12-01 – https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2025/december/documents/20251201-libano-clero.html
2025-12-01 – https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2025/december/documents/20251201-libano-incontro-ecumenico.html
2025-12-02 – https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2025/december/documents/20251202-libano-ospedale-delacroix.html
2025-12-05 – https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2025/december/documents/20251205-conferenza.html
2025-12-05 – https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2025/december/documents/20251205-paris-course.html
2025-12-05 – https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2025/december/documents/20251205-artisti-concerto.html