Pope Leo XIV says "it is a Year of grace: we can change!" and Highlighted Bl. Isidore a Convert who Prayed for those who Mistreated Him - FULL TEXT
At his Saturday, November 8, 2025, Jubilee Audience, Pope Leo XIV welcomed the participants in the Jubilee of the World of Work, gathered among the 45,000 faithful present in St Peter's Square. In his greetings to speakers, the Pope stressed that "work must be a source of hope and life, allowing the expression of individual creativity and capacity for good".
JUBILEE AUDIENCE
FULL TEXT CATECHESIS OF THE HOLY FATHER POPE LEO XIV
in the Vatican's St. Peter's Square on Saturday, November 8, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, as we continue our Jubilee catecheses, let us reflect today on the life of Blessed Isidore Bakanja, a Congolese martyr who lived out his faith with joy and authenticity, even in hostile environments such as his workplace. The supervisor of the European-owned plantation where Isidore worked despised the Catholic missionaries who defended the rights of the indigenous, and unleashed his anger upon Isidore. This courageous young man continued to manifest his faith, expressing his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary by wearing his brown scapular. While close to death due the abuse he suffered, Isidore declared that he would pray for his aggressors from heaven. His testimony reminds us that we have much to learn from our persecuted brothers and sisters in Africa. Let us strive to follow his example of perseverance in the faith despite any persecution or rejection we may face. Blessed Isidore, pray for us, so that we too can give witness to our faith with courage and enthusiasm!
_________________________________
Greetings
I extend a warm welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today's Audience, especially those coming from the United States of America. A special greeting to all of you who are participating in the Jubilee of the World of Work. In praying that you may experience an increase in the virtue of hope during this Jubilee Year, I invoke upon all of you, and upon all your families, the joy and the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!
Dear German-speaking pilgrims, Blessed Isidore wore the scapular until the end of his life as a sign of filial devotion to the Mother of God. Let us also entrust ourselves to her, Mother of hope, so that she may help us to do the will of the Father who is in heaven.
I cordially greet the pilgrims of the Spanish language. Let us turn to the Holy Spirit and our enlightenment so that we can bear witness to our faith with firmness and conviction, strongly rooted in Christ, our hope. May God bless them. Much thanks.
I cordially greet the Poles. World of Work pilgrimages have a long tradition in Poland. Their inspiration comes from the teachings of Saint John Paul II and his encyclical Laborem Exercens , as well as from the work of Blessed Father Popiełuszko. Return to these sources to engage with "new things," encouraging a Christian vision of human work. I bless you wholeheartedly !
* * *
I extend a cordial welcome to the Italian-speaking faithful. In particular, I greet the pilgrims from the following archdioceses: Gaeta, accompanied by Archbishop Luigi Vari, and Brindisi-Ostuni, with Archbishop Giovanni Intini. Dear friends, your diocesan communities possess a solid spiritual heritage, rooted in faith in Christ. Draw constantly from this wonderful source and from it draw the courage and strength needed to confidently face the challenges of today's society.
I warmly welcome the participants in the Jubilee of the World of Work , the Italian Confederation of Freelance Professionals, the Dedalo Cooperative Society of Como, and the Brindisi and the Ancient Roads Association. Dear friends, work must be a source of hope and life, allowing individuals to express their creativity and capacity for good. Therefore, I hope for a collective commitment from institutions and civil society to create valid employment opportunities that offer stability and dignity, ensuring especially that young people can realize their dreams and contribute to the common good.
I greet the participants in the Jubilee of Italian Historical Reenactments , urging them to consider how the great values of the Christian faith underpin the culture, art, and civil and religious traditions of the nation. I also greet the representatives of the Italian Centers for Natural Methods, and the faithful of Canaro, Cupello, Florence, and Viterbo.
Finally, my thoughts turn to the young people, the sick, and newlyweds. I sincerely hope that everyone will return to their homes strengthened by this Jubilee experience and reinvigorated in their desire to follow the Gospel and bear courageous witness to it.Source: Vatican.va with Vatican Media Image
FULL TEXT CATECHESIS OF THE HOLY FATHER POPE LEO XIV
in the Vatican's St. Peter's Square on Saturday, November 8, 2025
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Catechesis. 8. To hope is to bear witness. Isidore Bakanja
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!
The hope of the Jubilee is born from God's surprises. God is different from what we are used to being. The Jubilee Year pushes us to recognize this diversity and translate it into real life. This is why it is a Year of grace: we can change! We always ask for this when we pray the Our Father and say: "On earth as it is in heaven."
Saint Paul writes to the Christians of Corinth, inviting them to realize that among them, the earth has already begun to resemble heaven. He tells them to consider their calling and see how God has brought together people who would otherwise never have met. Those who are more humble and less powerful have now become precious and important (cf. 1 Cor 1 :26-27). God's criteria, which always begin with the least, are already in Corinth an "earthquake" that does not destroy, but rather reawakens the world. The word of the Cross, to which Paul bears witness, awakens the conscience and reawakens the dignity of each person.
Dear brothers and sisters, to hope is to bear witness : to bear witness that everything has already changed, that nothing is as it was before. This is why today I would like to speak to you about a witness to Christian hope in Africa. His name is Isidore Bakanja, and since 1994 he has been counted among the Blessed, patron of the laity in the Congo. Born in 1885, when his country was a Belgian colony, he did not attend school, because there was none in his city, but became an apprentice bricklayer. He became friends with the Catholic missionaries, the Trappist monks: they spoke to him about Jesus, and he agreed to follow Christian instruction and receive Baptism, around the age of twenty. From that moment, his witness became ever more luminous. To hope is to bear witness: when we bear witness to new life, the light increases even amidst difficulties.
Isidore, in fact, finds himself working as a farm laborer for an unscrupulous European master, who cannot stand his faith and his authenticity. The master hated Christianity and the missionaries who defended the indigenous people against the abuses of the colonizers, but Isidore will wear his scapular with the image of the Virgin Mary around his neck to the end, enduring every kind of mistreatment and torture, without losing hope. To hope is to bear witness! Isidore dies, declaring to the Trappist Fathers that he bears no resentment; indeed, he promises to pray, even in the afterlife, for those who have reduced him to this state.
This, dear brothers and sisters, is the word of the Cross. It is a lived word, which breaks the chains of evil. It is a new kind of strength, which confounds the proud and overthrows the powerful from their thrones. Thus, hope arises. Often, the ancient Churches of the global North receive this witness from the young Churches, which impels them to journey together toward the Kingdom of God, which is a Kingdom of justice and peace. Africa, in particular, calls for this conversion, and it does so by giving us so many young witnesses of faith. To hope is to testify that the earth can truly resemble heaven. And this is the message of the Jubilee.
Catechesis. 8. To hope is to bear witness. Isidore Bakanja
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!
The hope of the Jubilee is born from God's surprises. God is different from what we are used to being. The Jubilee Year pushes us to recognize this diversity and translate it into real life. This is why it is a Year of grace: we can change! We always ask for this when we pray the Our Father and say: "On earth as it is in heaven."
Saint Paul writes to the Christians of Corinth, inviting them to realize that among them, the earth has already begun to resemble heaven. He tells them to consider their calling and see how God has brought together people who would otherwise never have met. Those who are more humble and less powerful have now become precious and important (cf. 1 Cor 1 :26-27). God's criteria, which always begin with the least, are already in Corinth an "earthquake" that does not destroy, but rather reawakens the world. The word of the Cross, to which Paul bears witness, awakens the conscience and reawakens the dignity of each person.
Dear brothers and sisters, to hope is to bear witness : to bear witness that everything has already changed, that nothing is as it was before. This is why today I would like to speak to you about a witness to Christian hope in Africa. His name is Isidore Bakanja, and since 1994 he has been counted among the Blessed, patron of the laity in the Congo. Born in 1885, when his country was a Belgian colony, he did not attend school, because there was none in his city, but became an apprentice bricklayer. He became friends with the Catholic missionaries, the Trappist monks: they spoke to him about Jesus, and he agreed to follow Christian instruction and receive Baptism, around the age of twenty. From that moment, his witness became ever more luminous. To hope is to bear witness: when we bear witness to new life, the light increases even amidst difficulties.
Isidore, in fact, finds himself working as a farm laborer for an unscrupulous European master, who cannot stand his faith and his authenticity. The master hated Christianity and the missionaries who defended the indigenous people against the abuses of the colonizers, but Isidore will wear his scapular with the image of the Virgin Mary around his neck to the end, enduring every kind of mistreatment and torture, without losing hope. To hope is to bear witness! Isidore dies, declaring to the Trappist Fathers that he bears no resentment; indeed, he promises to pray, even in the afterlife, for those who have reduced him to this state.
This, dear brothers and sisters, is the word of the Cross. It is a lived word, which breaks the chains of evil. It is a new kind of strength, which confounds the proud and overthrows the powerful from their thrones. Thus, hope arises. Often, the ancient Churches of the global North receive this witness from the young Churches, which impels them to journey together toward the Kingdom of God, which is a Kingdom of justice and peace. Africa, in particular, calls for this conversion, and it does so by giving us so many young witnesses of faith. To hope is to testify that the earth can truly resemble heaven. And this is the message of the Jubilee.
English Summary Read by the Pope
Dear Brothers and Sisters, as we continue our Jubilee catecheses, let us reflect today on the life of Blessed Isidore Bakanja, a Congolese martyr who lived out his faith with joy and authenticity, even in hostile environments such as his workplace. The supervisor of the European-owned plantation where Isidore worked despised the Catholic missionaries who defended the rights of the indigenous, and unleashed his anger upon Isidore. This courageous young man continued to manifest his faith, expressing his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary by wearing his brown scapular. While close to death due the abuse he suffered, Isidore declared that he would pray for his aggressors from heaven. His testimony reminds us that we have much to learn from our persecuted brothers and sisters in Africa. Let us strive to follow his example of perseverance in the faith despite any persecution or rejection we may face. Blessed Isidore, pray for us, so that we too can give witness to our faith with courage and enthusiasm!
_________________________________
Greetings
I extend a warm welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today's Audience, especially those coming from the United States of America. A special greeting to all of you who are participating in the Jubilee of the World of Work. In praying that you may experience an increase in the virtue of hope during this Jubilee Year, I invoke upon all of you, and upon all your families, the joy and the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!
Dear German-speaking pilgrims, Blessed Isidore wore the scapular until the end of his life as a sign of filial devotion to the Mother of God. Let us also entrust ourselves to her, Mother of hope, so that she may help us to do the will of the Father who is in heaven.
I cordially greet the pilgrims of the Spanish language. Let us turn to the Holy Spirit and our enlightenment so that we can bear witness to our faith with firmness and conviction, strongly rooted in Christ, our hope. May God bless them. Much thanks.
I cordially greet the Poles. World of Work pilgrimages have a long tradition in Poland. Their inspiration comes from the teachings of Saint John Paul II and his encyclical Laborem Exercens , as well as from the work of Blessed Father Popiełuszko. Return to these sources to engage with "new things," encouraging a Christian vision of human work. I bless you wholeheartedly !
* * *
I extend a cordial welcome to the Italian-speaking faithful. In particular, I greet the pilgrims from the following archdioceses: Gaeta, accompanied by Archbishop Luigi Vari, and Brindisi-Ostuni, with Archbishop Giovanni Intini. Dear friends, your diocesan communities possess a solid spiritual heritage, rooted in faith in Christ. Draw constantly from this wonderful source and from it draw the courage and strength needed to confidently face the challenges of today's society.
I warmly welcome the participants in the Jubilee of the World of Work , the Italian Confederation of Freelance Professionals, the Dedalo Cooperative Society of Como, and the Brindisi and the Ancient Roads Association. Dear friends, work must be a source of hope and life, allowing individuals to express their creativity and capacity for good. Therefore, I hope for a collective commitment from institutions and civil society to create valid employment opportunities that offer stability and dignity, ensuring especially that young people can realize their dreams and contribute to the common good.
I greet the participants in the Jubilee of Italian Historical Reenactments , urging them to consider how the great values of the Christian faith underpin the culture, art, and civil and religious traditions of the nation. I also greet the representatives of the Italian Centers for Natural Methods, and the faithful of Canaro, Cupello, Florence, and Viterbo.
Finally, my thoughts turn to the young people, the sick, and newlyweds. I sincerely hope that everyone will return to their homes strengthened by this Jubilee experience and reinvigorated in their desire to follow the Gospel and bear courageous witness to it.
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