Pope Leo XIV Blesses Religious with Miraculous Relic of Saint Januarius in Naples saying "you are part of a love story—that of the Lord for his people" FULL TEXT + VIDEO
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Pope Leo XIV visited Naples and Pompeii on May 8, as he marked the first anniversary of his election to the See of Peter. He traveled in the afternoon to Naples by helicopter to meet the clergy and later the local population. Cardinal Domenico Battaglia, Archbishop of Naples, was present at the meeting in the Cathedral and gave an address. Pope Leo XIV also held up the reliquary containing the ampoules of the blood of Saint Januarius, patron saint of the city, and prayed before the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel dedicated to the saint.
MEETING WITH THE CLERGY AND CONSECRATED PEOPLE
ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHERMetropolitan Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Naples)
Friday, May 8, 2026
_________
Words of the Holy Father before the meeting with the Bishops, the clergy, and the men and women religious
Hello, Naples! Good morning! I came to Naples to experience this warmth that only Naples can offer! Thank you for this welcome! Thank you! It's a blessing from God to be together, I'm so happy to be here this afternoon: a very short but very meaningful time. And this first stop right here at the Duomo, the cathedral of Naples, where I also want to pay this tribute to San Gennaro, so important to your devotion, your faith!
Greetings, Your Eminence, all of you. Thank you for being here. We will pray together. We ask God's blessing upon all of you, upon all of Naples. Thank you! Thank you!
__________________________________
Your Eminence, Your Excellencies,
dear priests, religious men and women,
brothers and sisters!
Thank you, Your Eminence, for your greeting, also on behalf of those present and of the entire Church in Naples. It is a great joy for me to visit this city, so rich in art and culture, located in the heart of the Mediterranean and inhabited by an unmistakable and joyful people, despite the burden of so many hardships. My venerated predecessor, Pope Francis, coming here in 2015 , said: "Life in Naples has never been easy, but it has never been sad! This is your great resource: joy, cheerfulness" ( Meeting with the people of Scampia , 21 March 2015). Today I am also here to be infected by this joy. Thank you for your welcome!
In this spirit of friendship and brotherhood, I would like to share with you a brief reflection, which I hope will support and encourage you on your journey and offer some useful insights for ecclesial and pastoral life.
There is a word that resonates in my heart as I listen to the Gospel story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus: the word " care ." Like those two disciples, we too often continue on our journey, unable to interpret the signs of history. At times, discouraged and disappointed by so many problems or by personal and pastoral hopes that seem unrealized, we have sad faces and bitterness in our hearts. Jesus, however, stands beside us and walks with us, accompanying us to open us to a new light: his is the attitude of one who cares.
The opposite of care is neglect. Some examples immediately come to mind: the neglect of city streets and corners, common areas, suburbs, and, even more so, all those situations where life itself is neglected, when we struggle to preserve its beauty and dignity. However, I would like us to reflect, first and foremost, on the importance of inner care, which is care for our hearts, our humanity, and our relationships.
I say this first and foremost to those in the Church who are called to a role of responsibility, to a service of governance, to a special consecration. I think first of all of priests and men and women religious, because the burden of ministry and the resulting inner struggle have become, in some ways, even more burdensome today than in the past.
Naples is a city of a thousand colors, where the culture and traditions of the past blend with modernity and innovation; it is a city where a spontaneous and effervescent popular religiosity intertwines with numerous social fragilities and the many faces of poverty; it is an ancient city yet in constant movement, inhabited by much beauty and at the same time marked by much suffering and even bloodied by violence.
In this context, pastoral work is called to continually embody the Gospel message, so that the Christian faith, professed and celebrated, is not limited to a few emotional events but penetrates deeply into the fabric of life and society. The burden, however, especially for priests, is great. I think of the effort required to listen to the stories entrusted to you, to intercept the most hidden ones that need to be brought to light, to persevere in the commitment to an Gospel message that can offer horizons of hope and encourage the choice of good; I think of the weary families and the often disoriented young people you propose to accompany, and of all the needs—human, material, and spiritual—that the poor entrust to you as they knock on the doors of your parishes and associations. Added to this is often a sense of impotence and bewilderment when we realize that our language and actions seem inadequate to the new questions and challenges of today, especially among the youngest. The human and pastoral burden is certainly high, it risks weighing us down, wearing us down, exhausting our energies, and at times it can be further aggravated by a certain loneliness and a sense of pastoral isolation.
For this we need care. First of all, care for our interior and spiritual life, constantly nourishing our personal relationship with the Lord in prayer and cultivating the ability to listen to what stirs within us, to discern and allow ourselves to be enlightened by the Spirit. This also requires the courage to pause, to not be afraid to question the Gospel in the personal and pastoral situations we experience, so as not to reduce ministry to a mere function to be performed.
Caring for our ministry, however, also involves fraternity and communion. A fraternity rooted in God, expressed in friendship and mutual accompaniment, as well as in the sharing of pastoral projects and initiatives. It should be considered "a constitutive element of the identity of ministers, not simply an ideal or a slogan" (Apostolic Letter, A Fidelity That Generates a Future , 16). At the same time, precisely because today we are more exposed to the effects of loneliness, living in a more complex and fragmented cultural environment, fraternity needs to be cultivated and promoted, perhaps even with new "possible forms of common life" ( ibid ., 17), in which priests can help one another and develop pastoral action together. This involves not just participating in some meeting or event, but working to overcome the temptation of individualism. Let us think of ourselves as priests and religious together! Let us practice the art of proximity!
Pope Francis has stated that to a certain individualism widespread in our dioceses "we must react with the choice of fraternity." And he added: "This communion demands to be lived by seeking concrete forms suited to the times and the reality of the territory, but always with an apostolic perspective, a missionary style, fraternity and simplicity of life" ( Meeting with diocesan priests , Cassano all'Jonio , June 21, 2014).
Let us not forget, then, that this need for communion concerns us first and foremost as baptized persons, called to form the one Church of Christ. It must therefore be sought, encouraged, and lived in all our human and pastoral relationships, in which a primary role is played by the laity and pastoral workers. Walking together in following the Lord and carrying forward the evangelizing mission by valorizing the various charisms and ministries corresponds to the very identity of the Church: the Church is a mystery of communion, and each person, beginning with Baptism, is called to be a living stone of the edifice, an apostle of the Gospel, a witness to the Kingdom.
In this regard, I know you have experienced a time of grace in celebrating the Diocesan Synod. It was a process that revitalized the entire ecclesial community, calling it to question its own way of being and proclaiming the Gospel in this land. I would like to invite you, above all, to preserve and embrace the Synod's method: an exercise in mutual listening, an engagement that excluded no one, a human, pastoral, and spiritual synergy between parishes, associations, consecrated persons, and lay people, seeking to give voice even to those who usually remain on the margins. This listening has brought to light expectations, wounds, and hopes, giving you the image of a Church called to emerge from itself, to convert its own way of life, to incarnate itself among the people as a beacon of hope.
What I ask of you, then, is this: listen to one another, walk together, create a symphony of charisms and ministries, and thus find ways to move from a pastoral ministry of conservation to a missionary ministry capable of intercepting people's concrete lives.
It is a mission that requires everyone's contribution. In a city marked by inequality, youth unemployment, school dropouts, and family fragility, the proclamation of the Gospel cannot exist without a concrete and supportive presence that involves each and every one of us—priests, religious, and lay people. Everyone is an active participant in the pastoral care and life of the Church, not just a collaborator, so that the commitment and testimony of each individual can create a present and attentive community, capable of being leaven in the dough. A community that knows how to plan and propose programs that help people live the experience of the Gospel and draw from it to renew the city of Naples.
Dear brothers and sisters, I know the special bond that unites you to your patron saint, Saint Gennaro; but God's grace has been so generous with you that it has inspired so many other saints throughout your history. I entrust you to them and to the intercession of Mary, Virgin of the Assumption and caring Mother. And do not forget: you are part of a love story—that of the Lord for his people—that began before you and does not end with you; you are part of it as unique and necessary pieces; you are part of it so that, even in the dense web of darkness, you can kindle a light.
Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, and be, for this Church and for this city, witnesses of Christ and sowers of the future!
ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHERMetropolitan Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Naples)
Friday, May 8, 2026
_________
Words of the Holy Father before the meeting with the Bishops, the clergy, and the men and women religious
Hello, Naples! Good morning! I came to Naples to experience this warmth that only Naples can offer! Thank you for this welcome! Thank you! It's a blessing from God to be together, I'm so happy to be here this afternoon: a very short but very meaningful time. And this first stop right here at the Duomo, the cathedral of Naples, where I also want to pay this tribute to San Gennaro, so important to your devotion, your faith!
Greetings, Your Eminence, all of you. Thank you for being here. We will pray together. We ask God's blessing upon all of you, upon all of Naples. Thank you! Thank you!
__________________________________
Your Eminence, Your Excellencies,
dear priests, religious men and women,
brothers and sisters!
Thank you, Your Eminence, for your greeting, also on behalf of those present and of the entire Church in Naples. It is a great joy for me to visit this city, so rich in art and culture, located in the heart of the Mediterranean and inhabited by an unmistakable and joyful people, despite the burden of so many hardships. My venerated predecessor, Pope Francis, coming here in 2015 , said: "Life in Naples has never been easy, but it has never been sad! This is your great resource: joy, cheerfulness" ( Meeting with the people of Scampia , 21 March 2015). Today I am also here to be infected by this joy. Thank you for your welcome!
In this spirit of friendship and brotherhood, I would like to share with you a brief reflection, which I hope will support and encourage you on your journey and offer some useful insights for ecclesial and pastoral life.
There is a word that resonates in my heart as I listen to the Gospel story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus: the word " care ." Like those two disciples, we too often continue on our journey, unable to interpret the signs of history. At times, discouraged and disappointed by so many problems or by personal and pastoral hopes that seem unrealized, we have sad faces and bitterness in our hearts. Jesus, however, stands beside us and walks with us, accompanying us to open us to a new light: his is the attitude of one who cares.
The opposite of care is neglect. Some examples immediately come to mind: the neglect of city streets and corners, common areas, suburbs, and, even more so, all those situations where life itself is neglected, when we struggle to preserve its beauty and dignity. However, I would like us to reflect, first and foremost, on the importance of inner care, which is care for our hearts, our humanity, and our relationships.
I say this first and foremost to those in the Church who are called to a role of responsibility, to a service of governance, to a special consecration. I think first of all of priests and men and women religious, because the burden of ministry and the resulting inner struggle have become, in some ways, even more burdensome today than in the past.
Naples is a city of a thousand colors, where the culture and traditions of the past blend with modernity and innovation; it is a city where a spontaneous and effervescent popular religiosity intertwines with numerous social fragilities and the many faces of poverty; it is an ancient city yet in constant movement, inhabited by much beauty and at the same time marked by much suffering and even bloodied by violence.
In this context, pastoral work is called to continually embody the Gospel message, so that the Christian faith, professed and celebrated, is not limited to a few emotional events but penetrates deeply into the fabric of life and society. The burden, however, especially for priests, is great. I think of the effort required to listen to the stories entrusted to you, to intercept the most hidden ones that need to be brought to light, to persevere in the commitment to an Gospel message that can offer horizons of hope and encourage the choice of good; I think of the weary families and the often disoriented young people you propose to accompany, and of all the needs—human, material, and spiritual—that the poor entrust to you as they knock on the doors of your parishes and associations. Added to this is often a sense of impotence and bewilderment when we realize that our language and actions seem inadequate to the new questions and challenges of today, especially among the youngest. The human and pastoral burden is certainly high, it risks weighing us down, wearing us down, exhausting our energies, and at times it can be further aggravated by a certain loneliness and a sense of pastoral isolation.
For this we need care. First of all, care for our interior and spiritual life, constantly nourishing our personal relationship with the Lord in prayer and cultivating the ability to listen to what stirs within us, to discern and allow ourselves to be enlightened by the Spirit. This also requires the courage to pause, to not be afraid to question the Gospel in the personal and pastoral situations we experience, so as not to reduce ministry to a mere function to be performed.
Caring for our ministry, however, also involves fraternity and communion. A fraternity rooted in God, expressed in friendship and mutual accompaniment, as well as in the sharing of pastoral projects and initiatives. It should be considered "a constitutive element of the identity of ministers, not simply an ideal or a slogan" (Apostolic Letter, A Fidelity That Generates a Future , 16). At the same time, precisely because today we are more exposed to the effects of loneliness, living in a more complex and fragmented cultural environment, fraternity needs to be cultivated and promoted, perhaps even with new "possible forms of common life" ( ibid ., 17), in which priests can help one another and develop pastoral action together. This involves not just participating in some meeting or event, but working to overcome the temptation of individualism. Let us think of ourselves as priests and religious together! Let us practice the art of proximity!
Pope Francis has stated that to a certain individualism widespread in our dioceses "we must react with the choice of fraternity." And he added: "This communion demands to be lived by seeking concrete forms suited to the times and the reality of the territory, but always with an apostolic perspective, a missionary style, fraternity and simplicity of life" ( Meeting with diocesan priests , Cassano all'Jonio , June 21, 2014).
Let us not forget, then, that this need for communion concerns us first and foremost as baptized persons, called to form the one Church of Christ. It must therefore be sought, encouraged, and lived in all our human and pastoral relationships, in which a primary role is played by the laity and pastoral workers. Walking together in following the Lord and carrying forward the evangelizing mission by valorizing the various charisms and ministries corresponds to the very identity of the Church: the Church is a mystery of communion, and each person, beginning with Baptism, is called to be a living stone of the edifice, an apostle of the Gospel, a witness to the Kingdom.
In this regard, I know you have experienced a time of grace in celebrating the Diocesan Synod. It was a process that revitalized the entire ecclesial community, calling it to question its own way of being and proclaiming the Gospel in this land. I would like to invite you, above all, to preserve and embrace the Synod's method: an exercise in mutual listening, an engagement that excluded no one, a human, pastoral, and spiritual synergy between parishes, associations, consecrated persons, and lay people, seeking to give voice even to those who usually remain on the margins. This listening has brought to light expectations, wounds, and hopes, giving you the image of a Church called to emerge from itself, to convert its own way of life, to incarnate itself among the people as a beacon of hope.
What I ask of you, then, is this: listen to one another, walk together, create a symphony of charisms and ministries, and thus find ways to move from a pastoral ministry of conservation to a missionary ministry capable of intercepting people's concrete lives.
It is a mission that requires everyone's contribution. In a city marked by inequality, youth unemployment, school dropouts, and family fragility, the proclamation of the Gospel cannot exist without a concrete and supportive presence that involves each and every one of us—priests, religious, and lay people. Everyone is an active participant in the pastoral care and life of the Church, not just a collaborator, so that the commitment and testimony of each individual can create a present and attentive community, capable of being leaven in the dough. A community that knows how to plan and propose programs that help people live the experience of the Gospel and draw from it to renew the city of Naples.
Dear brothers and sisters, I know the special bond that unites you to your patron saint, Saint Gennaro; but God's grace has been so generous with you that it has inspired so many other saints throughout your history. I entrust you to them and to the intercession of Mary, Virgin of the Assumption and caring Mother. And do not forget: you are part of a love story—that of the Lord for his people—that began before you and does not end with you; you are part of it as unique and necessary pieces; you are part of it so that, even in the dense web of darkness, you can kindle a light.
Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, and be, for this Church and for this city, witnesses of Christ and sowers of the future!
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