Pope Leo XIV Warns "God cannot be enlisted by darkness" - " we must tirelessly pursue dialogue for peace" in Laetare Sunday Homily - FULL TEXT

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Laetare Sunday Mass in the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Ponte Mammolo, Rome. The pope emphasized the urgency of "constant dialogue for peace."  PASTORAL VISIT - HOLY MASS
FULL TEXT - HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Ponte Mammolo 
Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 15, 2026Dearest brothers and sisters,

Our Eucharistic celebration today is more than ever in tune with joy. Indeed, the beauty of our gathering fits into the context of the Sunday called " laetare ," meaning "rejoice," from the words of Isaiah: "Rejoice, Jerusalem!" (Entrance, cf. Is 66:10).

This gives us pause for thought. Many of our brothers and sisters today suffer because of violent conflicts, caused by the absurd claim that problems and differences can be resolved with war,” he said. “Instead, we must tirelessly pursue dialogue for peace. Some even attempt to implicate God in these deadly decisions, but God cannot be enlisted by darkness. Rather, he always comes to give light, hope, and peace to humanity, and it is peace that those who invoke him must seek.

This is this Sunday's message: beyond any abyss into which man can fall, because of his sins, Christ comes to bring a stronger light, capable of freeing him from the blindness of evil, so that he can begin a new life.

The encounter between Jesus and the man born blind (cf. Jn 9:1-41), in fact, can be compared to the scene of a birth, thanks to which the man, like a child coming to light, discovers a new world, seeing himself, others and life with the eyes of God (cf. 1 Sam 16:9).

Let us ask ourselves: what does this gaze consist of? What does it reveal? What does it mean to "look with the eyes of God"?

According to the evangelist John, it means first of all overcoming the prejudices of those who, faced with a suffering person, see only an outcast to be despised, or a problem to be avoided, retreating into the armored tower of selfish individualism. We often hear things like: "When things were going well, I had many friends; but in times of trial, many left, disappeared!" Jesus doesn't do that: he looks at the blind man with love, not as an inferior being or a bothersome presence, but as a loved one in need of help. Thus, their encounter becomes an opportunity for God's work to be revealed in all.

In the "sign," the miracle, Jesus reveals his divine power, and man, almost retracing the gestures of creation—the mud, the saliva—returns to fully display his beauty and dignity as a creature made in the image and likeness of God. Thus, recovering his sight, he becomes a witness of light.

Of course, this involves effort: he must get used to many previously unfamiliar things, learn to distinguish colors and shapes, re-establish his relationships, and it's not easy. Indeed, the hostility surrounding him grows, provokes him, and not even his parents have the courage to defend him (see John 9:18-23). ​​It almost seems, absurdly, that those close to him want to undo what has happened. Moreover, in the interrogation to which the blind man who now sees is subjected, the one put on trial is above all Jesus, accused of having violated the Sabbath day in order to heal him.

Thus, a different and even more serious blindness is revealed in those present: that of not seeing, right before them, the face of God, and thus they trade the possibility of a saving encounter for the sterile security afforded them by the legalistic observance of a formal discipline. Faced with such obtuseness, Jesus does not hesitate, demonstrating that no "Sabbath" can hinder an act of love. After all, the meaning of Sabbath rest, for the people of Israel—and for us on Sunday, the Lord's day—is precisely to celebrate the mystery of life as a gift, before which no one can ignore the cry for help of a suffering brother or sister.

Perhaps, at times, we too can be blind in this sense, when we fail to notice others and their problems. Jesus, however, asks us to live differently, as the first Christian community understood well, in which brothers and sisters, constant in prayer, shared everything with joy and simplicity of heart (see Acts 2:42-47). Not that tribulations and obstacles were lacking, even in those times. But they did not give up: strengthened by the gift of Baptism, they nevertheless strove to live as new creatures, living in communion and peace with all and finding in the community a family that accompanied and supported them.

Dear friends, these are the fruits we are called to bear as children of light (cf. 1 Thess 5:4-5); and for nearly ninety years, your parish has faithfully lived this mission, with special attention to situations of poverty, marginalization, and emergency, with attention to the presence, in its territory, of the Rebibbia prison, and with many other signs of sensitivity and solidarity.

I know you help many brothers and sisters from other countries settle here: to learn the language, find a decent home, and find honest and secure work. There are many challenges, unfortunately sometimes exacerbated by those who unscrupulously exploit the poverty of the most vulnerable to advance their own interests. However, I am aware of how committed you all are to meeting these challenges, through the services of Caritas, the Family Homes for women and mothers in difficulty, and many other initiatives. I am also aware of the vitality and generosity with which you dedicate yourselves to the education of young people and children, through the oratory and other educational programs.

St. Augustine, speaking of the face of God, of which we are called to be a mirror in the world, said to the Christians of his time: "What face does love have? What shape, what stature, what feet, what hands? […] It has feet, which lead to the Church; it has hands, which give to the poor; it has eyes, with which one comes to know those in need" ( In Epistolam Joannis ad Parthos , 7, 10) and he added, referring to charity: "Hold it, embrace it: nothing is sweeter than it" (ibid.).

Dearest brothers and sisters, this is the gift of light entrusted to you, so that you may let it grow in you and among you in all its sweetness and spread it throughout the world, through prayer, frequenting the Sacraments, and charity. Continue to strive in this way on your journey.

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to whom your parish is dedicated, increasingly shape and protect this beautiful community, so that, with the same sentiments as Christ (cf. Phil 2:5), it may live and witness with joy and dedication to the treasure of grace you have received.

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Final greeting from the Holy Father at the end of the Mass

Many thanks for this beautiful gift. Here's a photo of the parish, so we can always remember, but here you can see the life of the parish, which is so important! Thank you all!

And we present this chalice as a small gift to the parish, representing what we celebrate in the Eucharist: the body and blood of Christ, the communion among all of you. Best wishes to you and thank you!