What the Pope Said This Week

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

Sunday, 15 March: Angelus on Faith with Open Eyes

On  the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the Gospel of the  man born blind (Jn 9), countering the widespread notion that faith is a  “leap in the dark”:

“Faith is not a blind act, a  forsaking of reason or a retreat into some sort of religious certainty  that causes us to turn our gaze away from the world. On the contrary,  faith helps us to see things as Jesus himself sees them, with his own  eyes: it is a participation in his way of seeing.”

He urged that faith be “alert, attentive and prophetic,” opening our eyes  “to the darkness of the world” and bringing the light of the Gospel  through commitment to peace, justice and solidarity.

After the Angelus, the Pope expressed deep concern over two weeks of violence  in the Middle East. He appealed for the situation in Lebanon in  particular, and called on those responsible:

“Cease  fire! May paths of dialogue be reopened! Violence can never lead to the  justice, stability and peace for which the peoples are waiting.”

Monday, 16 March: Child Protection & Journalism

Pope  Leo addressed the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Commission for the  Protection of Minors, emphasising that prevention of abuse is “not an  optional task, but a constitutive dimension of the mission of the  Church.” He stressed the importance of forming “a culture of care”  throughout the Church:

“Prevention is never  just a set of protocols or procedures. It is about helping to form,  throughout the Church, a culture of care, in which the protection of  minors and persons in vulnerable situations is not seen as an obligation  imposed from outside, but as a natural expression of faith.”

He  praised the Commission’s dialogue with the Dicastery for the Doctrine  of the Faith and its work on technology-facilitated abuse in the digital  space.

Later that day, he met the editorial  staff of RAI’s TG2 news programme on its 50th anniversary. He praised  their commitment to “laicity”, understood as rejection of ideological  preconceptions, and pluralism.

In an age of war, he warned against journalism becoming propaganda:

“It  is up to you to show the sufferings that war always brings to the  people; to show the face of war and to relate it through the eyes of the  victims, so as not to transform it into a videogame.”

Wednesday, 18 March: Healthcare & General Audience

Pope  Leo addressed a conference on “Who Is My Neighbour Today?” organised by  the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences and the World Health  Organisation. He declared that “health cannot be a luxury for the few”:

“Universal  health coverage is not merely a technical goal to be achieved; it is  primarily a moral imperative for societies that wish to call themselves  just. Healthcare must be accessible to the most vulnerable, not only  because their dignity requires it but also to prevent injustice from  becoming a cause of conflict.”

Drawing on the  parable of the Good Samaritan and quoting St Augustine, he affirmed:  “Yes, you are your brother’s keeper, because you are called to safeguard  his humanity.”

At the General Audience,  continuing his catechesis on Lumen Gentium, the Pope reflected on how  the baptised share in Christ’s priestly, prophetic and royal offices.

The  Council Fathers taught that “the whole body of the faithful cannot be  mistaken in belief” when it “manifests a universal consensus in matters  of faith and morals.” He urged gratitude for the manifold gifts of the  Spirit that build up the Body of Christ.

Thursday, 19 March: Amoris Laetitia Anniversary

On  the Solemnity of St Joseph, Pope Leo released a message marking the  tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’s Apostolic Exhortation Amoris  Laetitia. He gave thanks for the document’s stimulus to “reflection and  pastoral conversion” in the Church, and recalled its key teachings:  adopting “the gaze of Jesus,” recognising that conjugal love is real  precisely in its “limited and earthly” way, and accompanying fragility  with mercy.

In a significant announcement, he declared:

“I  have decided to convene the presidents of the Episcopal Conferences  from around the world in October 2026, in an effort to proceed, in  mutual listening, to a synodal discernment on the steps to be taken in  order to proclaim the Gospel to families today.”

Take-Away Points:

• Faith is not blind but opens our eyes to see as Jesus sees — it must be “alert, attentive and prophetic.”
• “Cease fire!” — violence in the Middle East and Lebanon demands dialogue, not weapons.
• Child protection is “a constitutive dimension” of the Church’s mission, requiring a culture of care, not just protocols.
• Journalists must show “the face of war through the eyes of the victims”, not transform it into a videogame.
• Universal health coverage is “a moral imperative”,  healthcare must be accessible to the most vulnerable.
• A synodal meeting on families will be convened in October 2026 to discern how to proclaim the Gospel to families today.

Sources:

2026-03-15 – https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/angelus/2026/documents/20260315-angelus.html
2026-03-16  (Protection of Minors) –  https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2026/march/documents/20260316-tutela-minori.html
2026-03-16 (RAI TG2) – https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2026/march/documents/20260316-rai-tg2.html
2026-03-18 (Conference) – https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2026/march/documents/20260318-convegno.html
2026-03-18 (Audience) – https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/audiences/2026/documents/20260318-udienza-generale.html
2026-03-19  –  https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/messages/pont-messages/2026/documents/20260319-messaggio-amorislaetitia.html