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Pope Leo XIV: Love for neighbor begins with a personal relationship with God

4:19 AM ETConfirmed

Faith Desk

In Short: Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of a personal relationship with God as the foundation of love during his Sunday Angelus address on October 27, 2026.

He also reflected on the greatest commandment and called for an end to hostilities in Yemen and Jordan, urging the international community to prioritize dialogue and peace.

In a heartfelt appeal, Pope Leo XIV expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in Yemen, particularly in the city of Taiz, where the population is suffering from a lack of food, water, and medical care.

Pope Leo XIV also addressed the terrorist attack on worshippers at the Orthodox Church of St. George in Hamoud, Jordan, expressing his closeness to the community and the entire country, known for its peaceful coexistence and respect between different religions.

The Pope's message was part of a broader appeal for hostilities to cease and for the Yemeni people and all the peoples of the region to be guaranteed the right to live in peace.

Pope Leo XIV also spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, urging cooperation with Russia to allow humanitarian aid into the embattled city of Oleshky and the safe evacuation of civilians.

Pope Leo XIV's personal secretaries, Monsignor Edgard Ivan Rimaycuna Inga and Father Marco Billeri, hung a banner bearing the pontiff's coat of arms from a window overlooking St. Peter's Square.

The Pope also made a pilgrimage to the historic Marian shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano, emphasizing his deep devotion to the Virgin Mary.

Pope Leo XIV's journey to France aimed to show that a joyful or serene rebirth is always possible even after tremendous tragedy or terrible suffering.

The Pope's message was particularly poignant as he reflected on the Second Vatican Council’s Gaudium et spes, emphasizing that human work and scientific progress are not opposed to faith but can participate in God’s plan for creation.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• At the heart of love, Pope Leo placed our relationship with God, emphasizing that this is where the true meaning of love is found.
• “I am following with concern the grave humanitarian situation in Yemen, particularly in the city of Taiz, where the population is suffering from a lack of food, water and medical care,” he said.
• “Good morning, Father Gabriele. Ever since hearing the painful news about Maysa and Mary, I’ve been praying for them, their families, and everyone in Gaza. ‘How long, Lord?’” Pope Leo wrote, echoing a lament from Psalm 13.
• The Vatican on Friday released the first images of Pope Leo XIV since his lung cancer surgery, showing him celebrating Mass, as doctors said that tests confirmed the “continued improvement” in his recovery.
• This picture, released by Vatican Media on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, shows Pope Leo XIV, flanked by his personal secretary, Monsignor Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga, left, celebrating Mass at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, where he is recovering after having cancer removed from his right lung.

What's still developing

• “With great joy and a spirit of hope, our diocese now sets its course toward World Youth Day 2027, preparing to offer our young people the opportunity to take part in one of the most vibrant and transformative experiences in the life of the church,” said Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez in a March 20, 2026, Florida Catholic column.
• Cathy Loh, director of the diocesan Office of Marriage, Family Life, Faith Formation, and Youth and Young Adult Ministry, said parishes were to have a “soft rollout” of WYD plans on Easter weekend, April 4-5, with more active promotional efforts April 11-12.
• The most anticipated return: Leo XIV returns today to the embrace of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano The Pope makes a pilgrimage this September 7 to the historic Marian shrine, on an official trip that rekindles the deep devotion that marked his first steps after his election Today, September 7, on the eve of the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, Pope Leo XIV is making one of the most significant Marian appearances of his pontificate by returning to the Basilica-Sanctuary of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano.
• Today’s liturgical celebrations reach their climax at 6:00 PM, when the Pope presides over the Holy Eucharist at the sanctuary, which has been cared for for centuries by the Order of Saint Augustine.
• His personal physician and surgeon said tests on the tissue removed during surgery confirmed the initial diagnosis and that the cancer had not spread.
• “The statements suggest that this is a stage I lung cancer for which surgery is highly effective and expected to be curative,” said Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer expert at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
• “We can’t make any type of predictions,” Parolin said Thursday, according to the LaPresse and ANSA news agencies.
• The Cathedral of Notre Dame of Paris, which was restored after a fire destroyed its wooden spire and most of its roof in 2019, “can symbolically shed light on this entire apostolic journey, offering a perspective that I would summarize in one word: rebirth,” he said in his main catechesis in Italian to thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
• (OSV News) -- The pastor of Gaza's only Catholic parish revealed that Pope Leo XIV sent a personal condolence message following an Israeli missile strike that killed five people, including a Christian mother and daughter.
• "His Beatitude offers his prayers to the Lord, asking Him to receive the two deceased in His abundant mercy, grant them eternal rest in His Kingdom, and bestow upon their families and loved ones the grace of consolation, strength, and hope," the patriarchate said.
• John Paul II at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic where Pope Leo XIV is hospitalised, in Rome, Thursday, Oct.
• To watch Pope Leo XIV’s video message and learn how to support the Church’s mission this World Mission Sunday, visit catholicmission.org.au/worldmissionmonth Clinical Nurse Manager, Anita, stands in the new eye surgery theatre at Buderim Private Hospital Paediatric Clinical Nurse Educator Lucy Osborn with her poster that featured at the 13th World Congress of the World Federation of Paediatric Intensive & Critical Care Societies Catholic Health Australia represents the nation’s largest non-government grouping of hospitals, aged and community care services, providing approximately 10 percent of hospital and aged care services in Australia.

Sources

• Arlington Catholic Heraldlink
• Ewtnnewslink
• Thefloridacatholiclink
• Coasttvlink
• Exaudilink
• Americamagazinelink
• Wvgazettemaillink
• NBC Newslink
• Catholicsunlink
• Detroitcatholiclink
• Catholicconnectlink
• Mcalesternewslink
• Oskaloosalink
• Chalink
• WarpBeat — background on Pope Leo XIV Delivers Angelus Address Emphasizing Love and Peace link
• EWTN News — video link