Leo: Keep beautiful witness of Corpus Christi processions alive June 3, 2026By Deborah Castellano Lubov OSV News Filed Under: Eucharist, Feature, News, Vatican, World News (Vatican News) — Pope Leo XIV has encouraged the faithful to keep alive the public witness of faith made visible in Eucharistic processions, recalling that this week the Church celebrates the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi. “In the Eucharist, we contemplate Jesus, the bread broken and given for each of us,” Pope Leo said in his greeting to Italian-speaking pilgrims at the end of his Wednesday general audience on June 3. “Processions with the Blessed Sacrament, which take place in the streets of many towns, are an expression of popular Eucharistic devotion; in this regard, I encourage you to keep alive this beautiful public manifestation of faith,” Pope Leo said. In the Church’s liturgical calendar, the feast of Corpus Christi falls on the Thursday following the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. However, in most U.S. dioceses, the celebration of the solemnity is transferred to the following Sunday so that more people can participate. This year the solemnity will be celebrated June 7. In his greetings to pilgrims, the pope also offered special words of closeness to priests and religious serving in the Middle East. “I would like to address a special word to the priests and religious of the Middle East: I accompany your ministry and the hopes of your respective countries with my prayers and my blessing,” he said. The Holy Father also greeted the Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, members of the Montfortian Family and the Sisters of Our Lady of the Cenacle, encouraging them “to be a sign of hope for all those who thirst for God, for his truth, and for his peace.” Also see: Get ready for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s stops in the Archdiocese of Baltimore Read More Vatican News Pope encourages Catholics to deepen prayer through Liturgy of the Hours Pope Leo XIV’s August prayer intention is ‘for evangelization in the city’ Pope Leo writes to 97-year-old cardinal who spent 18 years in labor camps Pope Leo’s meeting with Patti Smith highlights rocker’s Church-adjacent artistry Pope Leo on his ancestry, and how he’s a ‘pope who happens to be American’ Pope Leo XIV to offer public Masses and audiences every week of August Copyright © 2026 OSV News Print
