Angelus

Christian families must not let today's tyrants suffocate their love and witness to Gospel values, Pope Leo XIV said.

Pope Leo XIV asked children to pray in front of their Nativity scenes this Christmas and, especially, to pray "that all the world's children may live in peace."

Preparing the way of the Lord means taking concrete steps to help usher in God's kingdom of peace, Pope Leo XIV said on his first Advent Sunday back at the Vatican after his trip to Turkey and Lebanon.

Marking Ukraine's Independence Day, Pope Leo XIV pledged his prayers for the Ukrainian people in a message to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and encouraged Catholics to respond to Ukrainian religious leaders' request for prayers for peace Aug. 24.

The "barbarity of war" and forced displacement of people have to end, and civilians and places of worship have to be protected, Pope Leo XIV implored.

Serving life by caring for others is "the supreme law" that comes before all of society's rules, Pope Leo XIV said.

Pope Leo XIV called attention to two important events that fell on May 24: the day of prayer for Catholics in China and the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment.

With a huge and festive crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square, Pope Leo XIV led his first Sunday recitation of the "Regina Coeli" prayer and urged all Catholics to pray for vocations, especially to the priesthood and religious life.

With thousands of infirmed people and those who care for them gathered in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis, seated in a wheelchair and wearing a nasal cannula, made an unexpected appearance to greet the crowd.

The presentation of Jesus in the temple of Jerusalem shows that God's closeness to humanity is not confined to a place of worship but is manifested in his living among people, Pope Francis said.