What the Pope Said This Week

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

Sunday, 10 May: Regina Caeli — Love Begetting Love

Pope Leo XIV reflected on Christ’s words at the Last Supper: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (Jn 14:15). He stressed that this is an invitation to relationship, not an ultimatum. We are not loved because we keep the commandments; rather, God’s love is the very basis of our righteousness. Christ himself is the standard and measure of true love — faithful, pure and unconditional:

“Just as only those who have received life can live, so too, only those who have been loved can love. The Lord’s commandments are therefore a way of life that heal us from false loves.”

He spoke of the Holy Spirit as the Paraclete — the Advocate and “Spirit of truth” — who stands against the Accuser, “the father of lies” who seeks to set humanity against God and people against one another. After the prayer, the Pope expressed deep concern over growing violence in the Sahel, particularly terrorist attacks in Chad and Mali. He marked the Day of Coptic-Catholic Friendship with greetings to Pope Tawadros II, and thanked the people of the Canary Islands for welcoming passengers infected with Hantavirus from a cruise ship. He also remembered all mothers on Mother’s Day.

Monday, 11 May: Vatican Observatory Foundation — Science and Faith

Addressing the Vatican Observatory Foundation, Pope Leo recalled that Pope Leo XIII re-founded the Observatory 135 years ago to demonstrate that the Church embraces true science. Today, he noted, both science and religion face a more insidious threat: those who deny the very existence of objective truth. Too many refuse to acknowledge our responsibility for the stewardship of the planet and the welfare of the vulnerable:

“This is precisely why the Church’s embrace of rigorous, honest science remains not merely valuable, but essential.”

Astronomy, he said, holds a particular place in the Church’s mission. The capacity to gaze with wonder at the heavens is a gift given to every human being, awakening both awe and “a saving sense of proportion”. He quoted Pope Benedict XVI’s observation that we have filled our skies with man-made light that blinds us to the lights God has placed there — “a fitting image of sin itself”.

Monday, 11 May: Interreligious Colloquium — Compassion in Modern Times

Pope Leo welcomed participants in the eighth colloquium between the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, including Prince Hasan bin Talal of Jordan. The theme was “Human Compassion and Empathy in Modern Times”. He noted that in the Muslim tradition, compassion (ra’fa) is associated with mercy as a divine gift, while in Christianity, God’s compassion becomes visible and tangible in Jesus Christ:

“Love for the poor — whatever form their poverty may take — is the evangelical hallmark of a Church faithful to the heart of God.”

He warned that technological advances, while connecting us more than ever, can also lead to indifference. Quoting Pope Francis, he noted that “we have become used to the suffering of others” — and this apathy is becoming “one of the most serious spiritual challenges of our time”. He praised Jordan’s generosity in welcoming refugees and expressed hope that Christians and Muslims together can “revive humanity where it has grown cold”.

Wednesday, 13 May: General Audience — Mary, Model of the Church

Concluding his catechesis on Lumen Gentium, Pope Leo reflected on the final chapter’s teaching on the Virgin Mary. The Council Fathers recognised Mary as model, member and mother of the Church. By allowing herself to be shaped by grace, she is the perfect model of what the whole Church is called to be. As the believer par excellence, she shows us how to be members of the Church. And as our mother by grace, she is one to whom we can turn “with filial confidence, in the certainty of being heard, protected and loved”.

“Mary is the woman who is the icon of the Mystery — that is, of the divine plan of salvation, once hidden and now revealed in its fullness in Jesus Christ.”

In his greetings to English-speaking pilgrims, the Pope noted that the audience fell on the memorial of Our Lady of Fatima — and the 45th anniversary of the assassination attempt on Saint John Paul II. He encouraged all to entrust themselves to the Blessed Virgin as they await the Lord’s Ascension.

Take-Away Points:

• “Only those who have been loved can love” — God’s love is the basis of our righteousness, not a reward for it.

• The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, our Advocate — the adversary of the Accuser who seeks to divide humanity from God and from one another.

• The Church’s embrace of rigorous, honest science remains essential — especially against those who deny the existence of objective truth.

• Light pollution as an image of sin — we have filled our skies with man-made light that blinds us to the lights God has placed there.

• Indifference to suffering is “one of the most serious spiritual challenges of our time” — Christians and Muslims must together revive humanity where it has grown cold.

• Mary is the “icon of the Mystery” — model, member and mother of the Church, in whom God’s plan of salvation is revealed.

Sources

2026-05-10 – https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/angelus/2026/documents/20260510-regina-caeli.html
2026-05-11 – https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2026/may/documents/20260511-vof.html
2026-05-11 – https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2026/may/documents/20260511-colloquio-ddi-riifs.html
2026-05-13 – https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/audiences/2026/documents/20260513-udienza-generale.html