Pope Leo's Three Urgent Appeals in One Angelus

 Pope Leo's Three Urgent Appeals in One Angelus

ROME REPORTS in English

Jul 27, 2026 

Nearing the end of his summer vacation, Pope Leo XIV continues to draw thousands of pilgrims to pray the Angelus.

This Sunday, the Pope cautioned that a culture of consumerism fuels endless desires that are never satisfied, making it harder to recognize what truly matters.

August 24, Angelus Prayer - Pope Leo XIV

 

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Pope Francis to All Catholics: The Eucharist Is Jesus Christ

RELIGION

AUGUST 17, 2015


The Pope's Sunday Angelus address

DIANE MONTAGNA

AFP



VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Sunday reminded all Catholics of the Church’s teaching on the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, stressing that at the Holy Mass, the sacred host is “really his Body given for us” and the chalice of what appears as wine “is really his Blood poured out for us.”

Speaking to pilgrims from his studio in the apostolic palace before praying the noonday Angelus, the Pope commented on Jesus’ bread of life discourse contained in the Gospel of St. John, chapter 6.

The Holy Father acknowledged that some in the crowd were shocked and even scandalized by the Lord’s words: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (Jn 5:51-54).

But he said the Lord’s teaching is clear: The Eucharist is neither a symbol nor even a thing, but rather a divine Person who desires that we live in intimate communion with Him.

“The Eucharist is Jesus who gives himself entirely to us,” the Pope said. “Feeding on Him and abiding in Him through Eucharistic communion — if we do so in faith — transforms our lives into a gift to God and to our brothers and sisters.”

For a Catholic, receiving Holy Communion in a state of grace and with faith and love therefore means “entering into harmony with the heart of Christ, assimilating his choices, his thoughts, his behavior. It means entering a dynamism of love and becoming people of peace, people of forgiveness, reconciliation,” he said.

While the Pope acknowledged the astonishment of Jesus’ listeners was understandable,” nonetheless he said the Lord used “a style typical of the prophets to provoke questions in the people — and also in us — and ultimately, to provoke a decision.”

Some reports estimate that only 30% of Catholics in the West today believe in the True Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.

Yet the Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph 1374) clearly states the Church’s teaching: “In the most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist ‘the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.” [Council of Trent (1551): DS 1651.]

The Catechism goes on to explain: “This presence is called ‘real’ — by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be ‘real’ too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present.” [Pope Paul VI, Mysterium Fidei, 39.]

Here below we publish a translation of the Pope’s Angelus address.

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Dear brothers and sisters,

Good day. This Sunday the liturgy sets before us, from the Gospel of John, Jesus’ discourse on the Bread of life which is Jesus himself, and which is also the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

Today’s passage (John 6:51-58) presents the final part of this discourse, and makes reference to several among the people who were scandalized because Jesus said: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (Jn 5:51-54).

The astonishment of the listeners is understandable. In fact, Jesus uses the style typical of the prophets to provoke questions in the people—and also in us—and ultimately, to provoke a decision.

First, the questions: What does it mean “to eat Jesus’ flesh and drink his blood? Is it only an image, a way of speaking, a symbol, or does it indicate something real? To respond, we need to understand what is happening in the Heart of Jesus as he is breaking the bread before for the hungry crowd.

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Pope expresses solidarity with those effected by the earthquake and rain storms in Asia

Published on Aug 13, 2012 by romereports

http://www.romereports.com During the Angelus, the Pope expressed his closeness to the thousands of people that have been effected by recent natural disasters in Asia.



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Rejoice! The Lord is at hand

Pope unfolds the meaning of Gaudete Sunday during the Angelus Reflection

Rejoice! The Lord is at hand
with a love that transcends time and space




On Sunday, 14 December, the Third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday, the Holy Father introduced the Marian prayer of the Angelus with an explanation of this Latin term for "rejoice", as used by St Paul. In keeping with tradition, the Holy Father then blessed the "Baby Jesus" figurines brought by the children of Rome who will put them in their mangers on 24 December. The following is a translation of the Pope's Reflection, which was given in Italian.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This Sunday, the Third Sunday in the Season of Advent, is called "Gaudete Sunday": "rejoice", because the Entrance Antiphon of Holy Mass takes up St Paul's words in the Letter to the Philippians where it says: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice". And immediately after he explains the reason, because "The Lord is at hand" (Phil 4: 4-5).
This is the reason for joy. But what does "the Lord is at hand" mean? In what sense must we understand this "closeness" of God?
The Apostle Paul, writing to the Christians of Philippi, is evidently thinking of Christ's return and invites them to rejoice because it is certain. Yet, St Paul in his Letter to the Thessalonians, warns that no one can know the moment of the Lord's coming (cf. 1 Thes 5: 1-2) and puts people on guard against any kind of alarmism, as if Christ's return were imminent (cf. 2 Thes 2: 1-2).
Thus the Church, illumined by the Holy Spirit, already at that time understood increasingly better that God's "closeness" is not a question of space and time but rather of love: love brings people together! This coming Christmas will remind us of this fundamental truth of our faith and in front of the manger we shall be able to savour Christian joy contemplating in the newborn Jesus the Face of God who made himself close to us out of love.
In this light, it gives me real pleasure to renew the beautiful tradition of the Blessing of the Christ Child figurines, the miniature statues of the Baby Jesus to be placed in the manger.
I address you in particular, dear boys and girls of Rome, who have come this morning with your Baby Jesus figurines that I now bless. I invite you to join me, following attentively this prayer:

God, our Father
you so loved humankind
that you sent us your only Son Jesus,
born of the Virgin Mary,
to save us and lead us back to you.
We pray that with your Blessing
these images of Jesus,
who is about to come among us,
may be a sign of your presence and
love in our homes.
Good Father,
give your Blessing to us too,
to our parents, to our families and
to our friends.
Open our hearts,
so that we may be able to
receive Jesus in joy,
always do what he asks
and see him in all those
who are in need of our love.
We ask you this in the name of Jesus,
your beloved Son
who comes to give the world peace.
He lives and reigns forever and ever.
Amen.

And now let us recite together the prayer of the Angelus Domini, invoking Mary's intercession so that Jesus, whose birth brings God's Blessing to mankind, may be lovingly welcomed in all homes, in Rome and throughout the world.

After the Angelus the Pope said:

Today, in the Diocese of Rome, we celebrate the day for the construction of new churches. In recent years several new parish complexes have been built, but there are still communities who gather in provisional and inadequate structures. I warmly thank those who have supported such an important commitment of the Diocese and I renew the invitation to everyone: let us help the parishes of Rome to build their churches.
I am happy to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present for today's Angelus prayer. On this Third Sunday of Advent we are called to rejoice because the Lord is near. As we renew our hope in Jesus and look forward to his coming, may we experience in our lives the deep joy of his salvation. I wish you all a pleasant stay in Rome, and a blessed Sunday!



(©L'Osservatore Romano - 17 December 2008)

Source: http://www.vatican.va/news_services/or/or_eng/text.html#3

Note: Bolds and Highlights added for emphasis......................Arsenio.