Vatican City – Today, in the Urbe, the scorching heat has made the air almost unbreathable. For this reason, Pope Leo XIV chose to hold the Jubilee Audience within the cool and solemn setting of St Peter’s Basilica, offering the faithful and pilgrims a moment of reflection and consolation away from the blazing sun.
The next Jubilee Audience will take place on Saturday, 6 September 2025. These special and dedicated gatherings are an integral part of the Jubilee of Hope we are currently living. They are moments in which the Pontiff addresses the faithful with a profound message rooted in the theological virtue of hope, inviting us to journey together as pilgrims during this time of grace.
Pope Leo XIV on Irenaeus of Lyon: “To hope is to connect”
During the audience, the Holy Father turned his attention to a key spiritual figure: Irenaeus of Lyon. Born in Asia Minor and a disciple of those who had known the Apostles, Irenaeus represents a bridge between East and West – a living reminder of how faith is enriched through encounter and communion among diverse peoples. Pope Leo XIV reminded us that Christian hope is not an escape from reality, but a deep act of connection: “To hope is to connect.”
The Apostles, through the Gospel, showed how Jesus unites heaven and earth – how human and divine life can meet and be reconciled. The Jubilee calls us to take this dimension seriously: “On earth as it is in heaven” is not merely a prayer, but a call to live hope in the concrete realities of daily life.
Irenaeus, the Pope explained, was able to look beyond the divisions and hardships of his time. In a world torn by doctrinal conflicts and persecution, he chose to focus on the flesh of Christ, on His humanity, which brings opposites together. Jesus is not a wall that divides, but a door that opens to communion.
A Call to Communion and Peace
The Pontiff emphasised how, today, in a world where words can become weapons and ideas fuel conflict, it is urgent to rediscover the ability to listen to the flesh, to recognise the suffering of others and to respond with a love that is written deep within each of us.
“Dear brothers and sisters, even today ideas can go mad and words can kill. The flesh, instead, is what we are all made of; it is what ties us to the earth and to other creatures. The flesh of Jesus must be welcomed and contemplated in every brother and sister, in every creature. Let us listen to the cry of the flesh, let us feel called by name through the suffering of others. The commandment we have received from the beginning is one of mutual love. It is written in our flesh before it is in any law.”
As Irenaeus taught, “there is intelligence not where things are separated, but where they are connected.” To be pilgrims of hope therefore means to be builders of bridges, workers of communion between people, nations, and cultures. It is no coincidence that the Pope took this opportunity to issue a strong appeal for peace, at a time of heightened international tension, with the situation in Iran and Israel worsening. Peace, he stressed, must be built on dialogue, responsibility, and mutual respect, rejecting every threat of destruction and working toward shared security.
«The time you spend together in these days will offer you a valuable opportunity to think about the relationship between athletic activity and the virtue of hope»
The Pope addressed these words in English specifically to the English-speaking faithful during the Jubilee Audience, offering a warm greeting to those participating in the Jubilee of Sport and the international gathering The Momentum of Hope, promoted by the Dicastery for Culture and Education. He reflected on the deep connection between sport and the virtue of hope, noting how athletic activity involves striving toward a goal, seeking constant improvement, and learning teamwork—qualities that reflect hope in action. Yet he also urged the faithful to see sport as a space where human and Christian values can flourish and be shared, contributing to a more just and fraternal world. In this spirit, he encouraged everyone, including participants in the International Motorbike Rally, to become “missionaries of hope”, committed to building a culture of solidarity, acceptance, and fraternity. He concluded by invoking the joy and peace of Christ upon all, praying that the Jubilee Year might deepen their experience of Christian hope.
S.R.
Silere non possum