Pope Leo XIV says "It is through the Eucharist that our hands become “the hands of the Risen One,” giving witness to his presence, mercy and peace" FULL TEXT

POPE LEO XIV at the REGINA CAELI
in the Vatican's St Peter's Square on Divine Mercy
Sunday, 12 April 2026
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Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday and happy Easter once again!

Today, on the Second Sunday of Easter, dedicated to Divine Mercy by Saint John Paul II, the Gospel recounts the appearance of the risen Jesus to the Apostle Thomas (cf. Jn 20:19–31). This event took place eight days after Easter, while the community was gathered together. There, Thomas encountered the Master, who invited him to look at the marks of the nails and to put his hand into the wound in his side, and to believe (cf. v. 27).

This scene invites us to reflect on our own encounter with the risen Jesus. Where can we find him? How can we recognize him? How can we believe? Saint John, who narrated the event, gives us precise indications: Thomas met Jesus on the eighth day, in the gathered community, and recognized him in the signs of his sacrifice. His profession of faith, the highest in the entire Fourth Gospel, emerged from this experience: “My Lord and my God!” (v. 28).

Of course, it is not always easy to believe. It was not easy for Thomas, and it is not easy for us either. Faith needs to be nourished and sustained. For this reason, on the “eighth day” — that is, every Sunday — the Church invites us to do as the first disciples did: gather together and celebrate the Eucharist. During Mass, we listen to the words of Jesus, we pray, we profess our faith, we share God’s gifts in charity, we offer our lives in union with the Sacrifice of Christ. His Body and Blood nourish us, so that we too may become witnesses of his Resurrection, as indicated by the term “Mass,” which means “sending forth,” or “mission” (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1332).

The Sunday Eucharist is indispensable to the Christian life. Tomorrow I will depart for my Apostolic Journey to Africa. Some of the martyrs of the early African Church, particularly the Martyrs of Abitene, have left us a beautiful testimony in this regard. When offered the chance to save their lives by renouncing the celebration of the Eucharist, they replied that they could not live without celebrating the Lord’s Day. It is there that our faith is grows and is strengthened. It is there that our efforts, though limited, are united by God’s grace to the actions of the members of a single body — the Body of Christ — for the accomplishment of a single great plan of salvation that embraces all humanity. It is through the Eucharist that our hands become “the hands of the Risen One,” giving witness to his presence, mercy and peace. The signs of work, sacrifice, illness and the passing of the years are often etched into our hands, just as they are in the tenderness of a caress, a handshake, or a gesture of charity.

Dear brothers and sisters, in a world that is in such great need of peace, this calls on us more than ever to be steadfast and faithful in our Eucharistic encounter with the risen Lord, so that we may go forth as witnesses of charity and messengers of reconciliation. May the Virgin Mary help us to do this, she who is blessed because she was the first to believe without seeing (cf. Jn 20:29).

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Post-Regina Caeli

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today, many Eastern Churches celebrate Easter according to the Julian calendar. In communion of faith in the Risen Lord, I extend my heartfelt wishes for peace to all these communities. I accompany these wishes with my fervent prayer for all those suffering due to war, particularly for the dear people of Ukraine. May the light of Christ bring comfort to afflicted hearts and strengthen the hope for peace. May the international community’s attention to the tragedy of this war not waver!

In these days of sorrow, fear, and unwavering hope in God, I feel closer than ever to the beloved people of Lebanon. The principle of humanity, inscribed in the conscience of every person and recognized in international law, entails a moral obligation to protect the civilian population from the horrific effects of war. I call on the parties in the conflict to declare a ceasefire and urgently seek a peaceful solution.

Next Wednesday marks the third anniversary of the start of the bloodstained conflict in Sudan. How much the Sudanese people are suffering, innocent victims of this inhuman tragedy! I renew my fervent appeal to the warring parties to silence their weapons and begin, without preconditions, a sincere dialogue aimed at ending this fratricidal war as soon as possible.

Now, I welcome all of you – Romans and pilgrims alike – especially the faithful who celebrated Divine Mercy Sunday at the Shrine of Santo Spirito in Sassia.

I greet the Musikverein Kleinraming, from the Diocese of Linz in Austria, the faithful who have come from Poland, the young people from the Collège Saint Jean de Passy in Paris, and those of various nationalities from the Focolare Movement. I also greet the pilgrimage group from the community of San Benedetto Po and the confirmands from Santarcangelo di Romagna and San Vito.

I will depart tomorrow for my ten-day Apostolic Journey to four African countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. Please keep me in your prayers.

I wish everyone a happy Sunday!