Pope Leo XIV says "each of us is a living stone in the edifice of the Church...placed by the Lord in the right place, plays an important role" FULL TEXT to Pilgrims from Russia

GREETING OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
TO A GROUP OF CATHOLIC PILGRIMS FROM RUSSIA
Clementine Hall on Friday, October 17, 2025
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
Peace be with you!
Dear brothers in the Episcopate,
dear priests, religious men and women,
dear Catholic pilgrims from Russia!

I cordially greet all of you who have come for your Jubilee pilgrimage. Indeed, the Holy Year that the Catholic Church is celebrating invites us to make a pilgrimage, because "setting out on a journey is characteristic of those who seek the meaning of life" (Bull Spes non confundit , 5). In this season, we see thousands of people walking the streets of the Eternal City to pass through the Holy Door, pause at the tombs of the Apostles and Martyrs, and fill their hearts with hope along the many paths of faith that crisscross Rome.

Your presence is part of the journey of so many generations who have wished to visit these places, where the heart of the Christian soul beats, where the stories of faith—received and transmitted since apostolic times, and from which so many peoples and nations have drawn abundantly and by which they still live today—are intertwined with the concerns and commitments of daily life. Alongside the monuments of ancient Roman civilization stand basilicas, churches, monasteries, and many other tangible signs of a living faith, rooted in people's hearts, capable of transforming consciences and inspiring goodness. Thus, this city can be a symbol of human existence, in which the "ruins" of past experiences, anguish, uncertainty, and restlessness are intertwined, along with the faith that grows daily and becomes active in charity, and with the hope that does not disappoint and encourages us, because even on the ruins, despite sin and enmities, the Lord can build a new world and renewed life. The sacred buildings of Rome evoke the spiritual reality: that through the sacrament of Baptism we too are "used as living stones for the building of a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" ( 1 Pt 2:5).

Dear brothers and sisters, yes, it's true, each of us is a living stone in the edifice of the Church. Every stone, however small, placed by the Lord in the right place, plays an important role in the stability of the entire structure. The Lord Jesus already encouraged his disciples: "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" ( Luke 12:32).

After this Jubilee pilgrimage, you will return to your homeland and be called to continue the journey of Christian life, pastors and faithful together, never forgetting that you are all responsible for your local Church, bearing "one another's burdens" ( Gal 6:2). May your families, your parish and diocesan communities, be an example of love, fraternity, solidarity, and mutual respect for all the people among whom you live, work, and study. In this way, indeed, the fire of Christian love can be kindled, capable of warming the coldness of hearts, even the most hardened.

Dearest ones, almost a year has passed since Pope Francis blessed the icon of the Salus Populi Romani and donated it to your local Church, so that it might become the sign of the Holy Year. May the pilgrimage of this icon throughout the Catholic dioceses of Russia be a source of comfort for you and your families, especially for the sick and suffering. May it also be an invitation to draw hope from an encounter with God through prayer, the reading of Sacred Scripture, assistance to the needy, and words of consolation. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Queen of Peace, who always precedes us on the pilgrimage of faith and hope, sustain you on the path of your vocation and Christian life! I remember you in my prayers and bless you wholeheartedly.