Josephine Peterson

Opening the first day of his second consistory with cardinals from around the world, Pope Leo XIV condemned war as “never blessed by God” while urging the Church’s leaders to embrace a style of listening and collaboration

Reflecting on his weeklong trip to Spain, Pope Leo XIV said one of his clearest impressions came from the Canary Islands, where migration revealed both the challenges facing Europe and what he described as a Christian path toward a “civilization of love.”

The rites and symbols of the liturgy are not arbitrary ceremonies but the means through which Catholics encounter God and are formed in faith, Pope Leo XIV said June 3.

One year after stepping onto the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and greeting the world with the words, “May peace be with you all,” Pope Leo XIV has emerged as a pontiff attempting to guide a polarized church and fractured world through dialogue, peace and increasingly forceful speech defending human dignity.

In the final leg of his apostolic journey to Africa, Pope Leo XIV struck a more measured tone, delivering a message to the faithful while navigating one of the continent’s most politically sensitive environments.