Pope Leo XIV Urges Religious to Embrace the ‘Marvellous Adventure’ of Following Christ

Rome, July 12, 2025 : Pope Leo XIV has called on religious men and women to embrace the “marvellous adventure” of following Christ more closely, during an audience held on Saturday morning in Castel Gandolfo, where he is spending his summer break.

Despite typically limiting public engagements while at the lakeside town southeast of Rome, the Pope welcomed participants from the General Chapters of several congregations: the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (P.I.M.E.); Religious Teachers Filippini; Religious Teachers Venerini; Daughters of the Church; Salesian Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart; and Franciscan Sisters of St Angela (Angeline Franciscans).

Pope Leo XIV opened his remarks by thanking the religious for their “faithful presence” and service worldwide. He highlighted how their founders and foundresses, “docile to the action of the Holy Spirit,” had entrusted to them diverse charisms dedicated to building up the Body of Christ.

The Holy Father praised the unique contributions of each congregation, noting that their Institutes “embody complementary aspects of the life and mission of the entire people of God.” He cited their commitments to self-offering united with Christ’s sacrifice, missionary work ad gentes, love for the Church and its traditions, and education and formation of young people.

“All these,” he said, “are different paths animated by the same eternal reality: God’s love for humanity.”

Pope Leo acknowledged that each congregation is discerning ways to reinterpret and renew its legacy, urging them to undertake this process through deep prayer and mutual listening. He quoted Pope Benedict XVI, reminding those present that the Holy Spirit “through the contribution of many under the guidance of the Pastors, helps the Christian community to walk in charity toward the full truth.”

In this context, the Pope stressed the need to rekindle an authentic missionary spirit, to adopt the sentiments “that were in Christ Jesus,” to root their hope in God, and to keep alive the flame of the Spirit in their hearts. He also encouraged promoting peace and fostering pastoral co-responsibility within local Churches.

“To place these side by side and recall them together at this moment,” Pope Leo said, “helps us to appreciate the richness of our being a community—especially as religious—engaged in the same marvellous adventure of ‘following Christ more closely.’”

He expressed his hope that this would renew and strengthen the joy of being Church and inspire participants in their Chapter discernment “to think boldly as unique pieces of a design that transcends and involves you beyond your own expectations.”

That divine design, Pope Leo explained, is “the plan of salvation” through which God seeks to unite all humanity as one family. He urged those present to be “small lights” helping Christ’s unfading light spread throughout the world.

Before imparting his Apostolic Blessing, the Pope invited them to pray with him that the Lord would make them docile to the Holy Spirit’s voice, who “teaches all things,” and without whom, “in our weakness, we do not even know how to pray as we ought.”

Courtesy: Vatican News