Pope Leo XIV visits the Ascension of the Lord Parish in eastern Rome, and encourages residents in the suburban neighborhood to be a leaven of goodness in the midst of frailty and criminality.
By Devin Watkins
On Sunday, March 1, Pope Leo XIV made his third visit to a parish in his diocese, spending the afternoon at the Ascension of the Lord Parish in the eastern “Quarticciolo” neighborhood of the Italian capital.
He followed in the footsteps of Pope St. John Paul II, who visited 46 years ago on February 3, 1980, and was welcomed by Cardinal Baldo Reina, Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome.
The Pope first met the parish’s children in the oratory courtyard, and lamented the renewed outbreak of war in the Middle East, saying God desires peace for all people.
“We must pray intensely for peace, live in unity, and refuse the temptation to hurt others,” he said. “Violence is never the right choice.”
Pope Leo greets children at the Transfiguration of the Lord parish on Sunday (@Vatican Media)
Turning to the life in the neighborhood, Pope Leo encouraged children to respect each other and always say ‘no’ to drugs, acknowledging that drug abuse and addiction are a problem in the area.
Afterwards, the Pope met with parishioners who are elderly or ill, inviting them to build community for the good of all.
“When we find ourselves in community, we witness a strength that is greater than each of us,” he said. “This is the strength that comes from the love of God, which truly makes us a family”.
He urged everyone to work together to raise up their community by working with the civil authorities to stamp out criminality.
Pope Leo greets several elderly parishioners (@Vatican Media)
Pope Leo XIV then celebrated Mass in the parish church, and reflected on the liturgical readings about the journey of Abraham and the Transfiguration of Jesus.
Every Christian is called to embark on a journey of trust in God, he said, noting that we miss our chance at finding a true treasure when we try to flee uncertainty.
“We can be tempted to flee precariousness as a vertigo that unsettles, whereas it is precisely from within it that one can appreciate a promise of unexpected greatness,” he said.
Jesus’ own disciples put up great resistance to His journey toward Jerusalem and the Cross, but the Lord set aside their protests and taught them that they must offer their own lives in order to give life to others.
“Jesus encourages us, so that we do not stop and so that we do not change direction,” said the Pope. “There is no greater promise; there is no more precious treasure than to live in order to give life!”
Reflecting on the issues facing the neighborhood, Pope Leo invited parishioners to have a gaze of faith so as to transform everything with hope and bind the wounds of the area.
“I encourage you to go forward on this path of openness to the territory and care for its wounds,” he said. “And I hope that others will join you so as to be here in Quarticciolo leaven of goodness and justice.”
Young people, especially, need to be encouraged to “overcome mediocrity by choosing a courageous, authentic, good life,” he added.
Pope Leo XIV invited residents of the Quarticciolo neighborhood to be signs of hope, bearing witness that Jesus is already at work in their community.
“It is precisely in the face of the mystery of evil,” he concluded, “that we must bear witness to our identity as Christians, as people who want to make the Kingdom of God perceptible in the places and times in which they live.”
Pope Leo meets with members of the pastoral council (@VATICAN MEDIA)
After Mass, the Pope met with members of the pastoral council before returning to the Vatican.
In brief greetings, he praised the parishioners for their strong faith and desire to find “life, love, charity, and fraternity” in their community.
“I am new as your Bishop of Rome,” said Pope Leo, “but I feel truly joyful to have found this community and to feel this living spirit in your Eucharistic celebrations, which is an expression of the life that is within in you and that you share.”
