Pope Leo XIV says "Your heart is a window open to the infinite...keep this window open! Follow with the gaze of your soul the paths traced with in you...to the encounter with God" FULL TEXT in San Marino

Pope Leo XIV meets with the Catholic community of San Marino, and venerates the relics of Saints Marinus and Leo, the founders of the Republic.  The Holy Father began his address to the ecclesial community of San Marino. He thanked priests, catechists, and other teachers for their work in supporting parents. The pope also gave a special message to the young people.

FULL TEXT ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER
TO THE ECCLESIAL COMMUNITY
in the Basilica of San Marino on Saturday, August 22, 2026
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Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
I am happy to meet you in this Basilica—even you, who are outside—in this Basilica dedicated to the holy deacon Marinus, your Patron. I greet His Excellency, your Bishop, whom I thank for his kind words, the priests, the consecrated men and women, the representatives of the ecclesial life of the Diocese, and all those present. I would like us to experience this moment together as a pause in our shared journey in the footsteps of Christ.

The Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro is heir to a rich history of faith and courage: that of Saints Marino and Leone who, eighteen centuries ago, with the Christian message "brought into the context of this reality […] new perspectives and values, determining the birth of a culture and civilization centered on the human person, the image of God" (Benedict XVI, Homily , San Marino, June 19, 2011). Lay people and stonemasons—only later called, in varying degrees, to the ordained ministry—were able to translate the Gospel message into a new community and political model, strongly characterized by the Christian principles of freedom, mutual respect, and communion, a model that remains alive to this day. And it is beautiful to see how your diocesan and civil communities strive to carry forward the work of their Founders with the same enthusiasm and fidelity. For this reason, I would like to pause to reflect with you on some aspects of your journey as a Church that I consider important.

I turn first of all to young people, starting from what Pope Benedict XVI told them , visiting here fifteen years ago : "Do not stop at partial, immediate answers [...] easier and more comfortable at the moment, which may give a few moments of happiness, exhilaration, exhilaration, but which do not lead to the true joy of living" ( Meeting with Young People , 19 June 2011); and then he added: "Your heart is a window open to the infinite!" There, dear young people: keep this window open! Follow with the gaze of your soul the paths traced within you by the great desires for beauty, goodness, and life that you carry in your heart. If you carefully observe their paths and listen to their voice, they will carry you upward, to the encounter with God, where He seeks you and awaits you; and with His help, your dreams will have the power to influence history and improve it.

Here, then, is my second invitation to you: embrace your mission in the world with enthusiasm! Do so, first of all, by seeking to understand your calling, unique to each of you, and to appreciate its grandeur (cf. Eph 1:18). And then devote yourselves to it, investing unstintingly all the richness of the gifts God has granted you. Do not be afraid to make demanding choices, such as marriage, consecration, ordained ministry, professional life, social and political commitment; prepare yourselves as best you can for the responsibilities that await you. Get involved in initiatives and projects of charity and justice. In this way, you too will contribute to giving "a witness of peace that speaks to the world," as the motto of my visit states.

In this regard, I would also like to express heartfelt thanks to the priests, catechists, and all the educators who, through various programs and initiatives, work for the human and Christian growth of children. Yours, dear friends, is a hidden but very important work, a humble and precious service, because it helps parents, who are primarily responsible for their children's education in the faith. The family, in fact, is the first place of faith formation, the natural womb where the Gospel is learned from childhood and breathed daily. Therefore, wise pastoral care will ensure that a strong educational synergy between families and ecclesial communities is fostered, an educational pact, so that parents feel involved, rediscover their faith in a new way, and have the joy of passing on to their children the Christian values ​​they have inherited.

As for content, growth paths, especially in Christian initiation, should communicate first and foremost the beauty and joy of baptismal and sacramental life, so that paths of holiness may be born and strengthened within communities, and an awareness of their own prophetic, priestly, and royal dignity may mature in all. In the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, the liturgy should be carefully cultivated and the faithful should be trained to experience it as a unified body, as the common action of a single living body (cf. Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium , 26), in which each member draws strength from the Lord's Table to bring his light to the paths of the world.

We believe that the Gospel is the path to freedom for men and women of all times, and that in Jesus Christ and his Word humanity's joys, wounds, and deepest questions find meaning and definitive answers. Therefore, we are convinced that the greatest gift we can give to the brothers and sisters the Lord places on our path is to help them encounter Him, God made man, who died and rose again for us, and in Him find salvation. In this light, we practice charity in all its forms, unsparingly, but always keeping in mind and with deep concern the ultimate and integral good of those we support.

We live in a world wounded by many conflicts, where we are alarmed by the increase in violence, isolation, and fear of others. Faced with these disturbing trends, our response can only be to walk with even greater conviction on the path of the Gospel. Its inspiration is the foundation of a society "built on respect for one's own freedom and that of others, and above all on respect for the sacred Will of God" (St. John Paul II, Homily , San Marino, August 29, 1982), which teaches and commands concern for the weakest, forgiveness, communion, and solidarity.

In this regard, I wish to emphasize the importance and prophetic value of some experiences of mutual support and closeness with which, in the more inland areas of this region, small communities address the challenges of depopulation and lack of services, keeping alive a sense of family and communion. These seemingly small and marginalized communities are like flames from which to draw to rekindle and rekindle in all the fire of solid, ancient, and ever-present values. These experiences testify to the warmth of that magnificent humanitas we must strive for, to overcome the individualism of a certain metropolitan and consumerist culture, as well as other forms of distrustful and divisive parochialism, and to breathe new life into our hopes for brotherhood and peace.

Dear brothers and sisters, the last word is the one closest to my heart: communion. In our communities, we bear witness to unity: among parishes and, within them, between pastors and faithful, among the different charisms and ministries. This too is part of the legacy of the lived Gospel that Saints Marino and Leone left us, and of our mission to continue with perseverance and dedication to build upon what they began. Through their intercession, may the Lord bless you and always sustain you on your journey.

Thank you so much for your welcome! I keep you in my prayers, and I'm sure you too will continue to pray for the Pope. Thank you!

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Words of the Holy Father Leo XIV to the young people gathered in the square outside the Basilica

Good morning! Best wishes to everyone! So, you've been listening a little during the speech... I can repeat the same words, beginning with: open the door of your heart, always listen to Jesus Christ, and never be afraid to listen to what Jesus wants to say to each of you.

Yes, I can say something very important to you young people: recognize the value of life in yourselves. The value of your life, of you who were created by God, loved by God: your life has so much value, for us, for the Church, for your family, for the entire world. Believe in what God has created, because you are all sons and daughters of God, and God loves you. And living with this sense of love in your heart will give you everything you need throughout your life. Be generous, always be open to serving others, seek to form authentic friendships: in friendship we can build community.

Here in San Marino, you have such a beautiful motto! Just one word: " Libertas ." You've surely heard it many times. We find true freedom only in Jesus Christ, we find it in the truth: Jesus came, he came to give us life, he came to help us recognize the truth in a world so often filled with lies, full of deception. However, if you have Jesus Christ in your hearts, if you have the truth and the freedom to follow Jesus, there is no need to fear anything else. Because Jesus walks with you, and Jesus calls us all, summons us all to walk together.

Thank you! Thank you all! And we are truly one community, always united. Thank you!