Pope Leo XIV at Mass with 25,000 says "everything we are and have is a gift from God, entrusted to us so that, in his hands, we can be instruments of salvation in justice for one another" FULL TEXT

At 6:00 pm, Pope Leo XIV moved to the Port of Rimini where 25,000 people were present for the Eucharistic Celebration.  Among the concelebrants, in addition to Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna and President of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), Bishop Nicolò Anselmi of Rimini, and Albanian Cardinal Ernest Simoni, who will turn 98 next October,  was Don Mirco Bianchi.
At the end of the Holy Mass, the Bishop of Rimini, His Excellency Monsignor Nicolò Anselmi, addressed a few words of thanks to the Holy Father.Following the Eucharistic Celebration, the Pope bid farewell to the authorities and, at 8:20 PM, departed by helicopter from the Port of Rimini for his return to the Vatican. He landed at the Vatican heliport at 9:14 PM.

FULL TEXT homily that Pope Leo XIV delivered during the Holy Mass:

Dear brothers and sisters ,

I am very happy to preside at this Eucharist with you and for you, the Church in Rimini. I do so at the culmination of an intense day, during which I visited the Republic of San Marino and the "Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples ." Now, as we enter the Lord's Day, it is time to celebrate the Mystery that gives meaning to everything and is the summit and source of all our pastoral action.

In the Gospel we have heard (see Mt 16:13-20), Jesus asks his disciples: "Who do you say that I am?" (v. 15). Peter responds, on behalf of all: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (v. 16). We too, after two millennia, are called to renew the same profession of faith: we are here because we believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the eternal Son of the Father, consecrated and sent into the world "to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many" ( Mt 20:28).

Yes, dearest ones, in Peter's words, we recognize the truth that fills us with joy and hope, and we find the path that leads to life: the path of God who places himself at the service of humanity (cf. Phil 2:5-8), of the Master who bends down to wash the feet of his disciples (cf. Jn 13:12-15), of the Shepherd who sacrifices himself for his flock (cf. Jn 10:11). And it is in this light that we look at Jesus' gesture of handing Peter the keys (cf. Mt 16:19-20), because in the Church, at every level, authority is service.

The Pope, the Bishops, the priests and the deacons are called first to live it in this way, and all the People of God must unite with them, each according to his specific calling. The Servant of God Don Oreste Benzi testified to this very well among you, when he said: "Our vocation consists [...] in allowing ourselves to be conformed to Christ the poor, to Christ the servant, to Christ who atones for the sin of the world, to Christ, the incarnate God-Man who lives among us in a form of direct sharing starting from the least" ( With this lisa tonaca , edited by Valerio Lessi, Bologna 1991, p. 42).

In the Church, in fact, the mission to "bind" and "loose," while on the one hand concerning the role of those who, in the name of the Lord, are called to exercise authority, on the other describes a style and a task that involves every baptized person: that of embracing, reuniting, welcoming, freeing, forgiving, and emancipating anyone who is a prisoner of sin and its consequences, making us righteous and wise stewards of the goods that God entrusts to us, so that all may work together, in charity, for the good of all.

In the first reading (see Is 22:19-23), the prophet Isaiah spoke of Shebna, an official to whom King Hezekiah had entrusted a great project of religious, moral, and social renewal in Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah. ​​Through ambition and greed, however, this powerful man began to abuse the authority conferred upon him, amassing wealth for himself and his circle of friends and relatives, and lording it over others. He had forgotten that the most important thing about the adventure in which his Lord had involved him was not economic means and power, but the possibility, through them, of promoting a plan of rebirth for the good of the entire community. For this reason, he was dismissed and his mission entrusted to Eliakim, an honest man free from constraints, solid in his uprightness like a peg driven into the wall, according to the words of the Prophet (see v. 23).

The message is clear: everything we are and have is a gift from God, entrusted to us so that, in his hands, we can be instruments of salvation in justice for one another, starting from the places and people with whom we live and work every day, so as to reach out, with a big and open heart, to the entire world.

In the second reading, St. Paul speaks to us of God's plans and says that they are inscrutable: not because of the complexity of his reasoning, but because of the disarming immensity of his love, which surpasses all our capacity and expectations, "for from him," says the Apostle, "and through him and to him are all things" ( Rom 11:36). God is simple, because he is pure charity, and he also calls us to love with a heart like his, conforming our ways to his ways and our thoughts to his thoughts (cf. v. 33).

These values ​​of honesty, generosity, and benevolence are notoriously dear to the people of Romagna, who are sincere and cheerful, hardworking, and supportive. This is evidenced by the numerous saints and blesseds who were born here, practicing charity and living the Gospel, sometimes to the point of martyrdom. This is also demonstrated by the ongoing commitment within various ecclesial groups, parishes, families, Catholic Action, various movements and associations, and Christian charitable and educational projects. It is certainly also for this richness, as well as for the natural and artistic beauty of the Adriatic coast and its hinterland, that so many people, from all over Italy and the world, come here every year for their holidays.

And, in this regard, I would like to encourage you to continue your efforts to ensure that this area is welcoming, not only for refreshment and entertainment, but also for the spirit. Saint John Paul II , visiting here many years ago , speaking of this vocation, emphasized that "resting does not mean separating oneself from oneself. On the contrary," he said, "resting means encountering oneself and reconciling oneself with one's innermost being" ( Homily at Holy Mass in Rimini , August 29, 1982).

The world we live in offers many forms of recreation, some of which, however, lead to dispersion and ruin rather than a true "return to self," and leave a void in the heart. Some call them "escape," as if ordinary life were a prison from which to escape. But we know that the truest place to find solace, to encounter God and truly encounter one another, is not outside, in the chaos, but within ourselves, in the depths of our souls. As a Christian community, we are therefore especially called to cultivate this experience and transmit it, through openness and hospitality, both in our personal and institutional settings, in the care and contemplation of our churches, in our willingness to help and offer charity. And this applies both to those seeking a well-deserved break after a year of work, and to those wounded in body and spirit, seeking refuge, food, and assistance far from their homeland.

Your Bishop, in his Letter to the Diocese, wrote: "Prayer, unity, listening, courage, simplicity, gratitude, beauty [...] would like to indicate attitudes always present in every aspect of life" (Bishop Nicolò Anselmi, Pastoral Letter, You will love, you will be happy and you will enjoy every good thing, now and for ever , October 14, 2024). Dear brothers and sisters, as I once again extend this important invitation to all of you, for your reflection and commitment, I thank you again for your welcome, for your participation full of faith and joy, and I entrust you to the intercession of Mary Most Holy, of Saint Gaudentius, and of your Patron Saints.
Source - https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2026/08/22/0660/01226.html