Pope Leo XIV calls Christ hope in war during Angelus address

On 5 July 2026 Pope Leo XIV delivered the Angelus from the balcony of St Peter’s Square, linking the Gospel of Matthew to contemporary suffering. He declared, “In slavery, Christ is liberation. Under the scourge of war, Christ is hope. In the hour of sin, Christ is forgiveness,” and described true divine wisdom as humility that reveals itself to “the little ones” while remaining hidden from the proud and learned.

The pontiff appealed for peace, asking the intercession of Mary, Queen of Peace, and urged people to “implore God’s mercy when conflict turns into war.” He extended his prayers to victims of global conflicts and specifically to the Venezuelan people still reeling from the twin earthquakes of 24 June, saying, “I always remember in my prayers the victims of the earthquake and all the Venezuelan people: may the Lord sustain them in this very difficult moment.”

Leo XIV also recalled the recent beatification in Vietnam of Father François Xavier Truong Buu, slain in 1946, urging that his intercession support “the workers of the Gospel who today still face persecution.” A letter accompanying the Columbanus Day celebrations in Lodi highlighted a penitential attitude as essential for reconciliation.

Overall, the homily framed Christ’s sacrifice as a source of liberation, hope, and forgiveness, inviting the faithful to a “school of freedom” rather than a burdensome asceticism.