Pope Leo XIV meets with participants of the Jubilee Pilgrimage from the dioceses of Umbria, a region in Central Italy rich in mystics, poets, men and women of faith, and renowned for its artistic and natural heritage. The Pope calls on the faithful to become “missionaries of love and peace.”
Vatican News
“This world we live in needs beauty in order not to sink into despair.” And the region of Umbria certainly has beauty in abundance—artistic, historical, and natural. Pope Leo XIV recalled the words of Paul VI as he highlighted the rich heritage of this central Italian region to the faithful gathered for the Jubilee pilgrimage from the various Umbrian dioceses. “You come from a truly beautiful region in many ways: the green heart of Italy, with its lush nature; a treasure trove of art, with its towns and traditions; a land of saints and holy women.”
Witness to holiness over the centuries
“Each of your communities could tell a unique story in this sense,” the Pope said to the pilgrims, which included numerous priests, religious brothers and sisters. “Seeing you here together brings to mind the beauty of the Body of Christ in its colorful harmony. Your landscapes reflect this harmony, where creation blends with human work, and art and nature echo one another.” Most of all, this beauty is testified to by the “centuries of holiness” in the region—lands traversed by “mystics and penitents, poets and theologians, hermits, women full of faith and courage, and enthusiastic young people,” who from age to age passed on the same, wondrous inheritance: the Gospel of Jesus.
Inspiration for Carlo Acutis
It was precisely from this “river of goodness” that the recently canonized young saint Carlo Acutis drew “inspiration and strength,” Pope Leo said. Acutis, whose remains rest by his own choice in Assisi, the town of Saint Francis, was declared a saint this past Sunday. “This is important, because it reminds us that the treasure we have received continues to grow, the vine continues to blossom and bear fruit, the good wine continues to ferment and spread its aroma.”
Proclaiming beauty
Concluding his address, the Pope once again quoted Paul VI: “Beauty is that precious fruit which resists the wear of time, unites generations, and allows them to communicate through admiration.” From this reflection, he gave the Umbrian pilgrims a mission: “You are surrounded by beauty in many ways: appreciate it, love it, let it speak to you of God—and in turn, become its heralds.”
