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Pope Leo XIV Celebrates All Souls' Day Mass at Rome Cemetery
Confirmed
In Short: The Vatican has announced that Pope Leo will celebrate 14 public Masses during the month of November, starting with the All Souls’ Day Mass at Rome’s largest cemetery.
The Mass will be the first of five public liturgies Pope Leo plans to celebrate in Rome and Vatican City during November.
Pope Leo, who recently underwent lung cancer surgery, was cleared by his doctors to make the trip without changes.
The pope's upcoming apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, scheduled for Nov. 6-17, will be his first international trip since his surgery.
The Mass at Campo Verano Cemetery, which covers more than 200 acres, is a significant event in the Catholic tradition of mourning the dearly departed.
In his announcement after praying the midday Angelus, Pope Leo said, “Tomorrow afternoon, on the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, I will celebrate Mass at the Verano Cemetery.”
The Mass will open the pope’s public liturgical schedule for the months of November and December.
Pope Leo emphasized the importance of the Mass, stating, “an essential requirement for bearing witness to the faith.”
In his homily, Pope Leo noted the connection with the Solemnity of All Saints, observed on November 1, which he described as giving “direction to our prayer.”
The pope also encouraged Catholics to pray for the souls in purgatory, especially those who are “forgotten” or have no one praying for them.
Pope Leo’s upcoming trip to South America will cover more than 19,000 miles on 14 flights, making November one of the busiest liturgical months of his pontificate.
The Mass at Campo Verano Cemetery will be the second time Pope Leo has marked the day with a Mass at the cemetery, following last year’s celebration.
Pope Leo’s doctors said Oct. 21 that he would need no further cancer treatment after undergoing video-assisted surgery Oct. 13 in which the lower lobe of his right lung was removed.
What this adds
The full itinerary for the Pope’s Apostolic Journey, including information on the various public liturgies celebrated by the Pope, can be found on the Vatican website.
This will be the second time that Pope Leo, currently recovering from lung surgery ahead of his upcoming South America trip, marks the day with Mass at Campo Verano.
Background
Surrounded by the tombs and monuments of Rome's largest cemetery, Pope Leo XIV celebrated All Souls' Day Mass at Campo Verano Cemetery on Nov. 2, 2026, according to Florida Catholic Media and TheCatholicSpirit.com.
Surrounded by the tombs and monuments of Rome's largest cemetery, Pope Leo XIV celebrated All Souls' Day Mass, encouraging Catholics to pray for the dead.
What's confirmed
- Among the events already announced are a Mass for the repose of the souls of the cardinals and bishops who have died during the past year, scheduled for Nov. 5 at 9 a.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.
- 27, the Eucharistic celebration will begin at 4 p.m.
- In subsequent years, he chose other significant locations, including the Pontifical Teutonic College of Santa Maria in Campo Santo within the Vatican in 2022 and Rome’s Laurentino Cemetery in 2025.
- Pope Francis celebrated All Souls’ Day Mass there in 2013, 2014, and 2015.
- The commemoration at Verano Cemetery will open the pope’s public liturgical schedule for the months of November and December.
- It will not be the first time a pope has presided over this celebration at Verano Cemetery.
- The pope's liturgical schedule was released a day after the pope's doctors cleared him to make the Nov. 6-17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru without changes, just weeks after surgery for lung cancer.
- "Tomorrow afternoon, on the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, I will celebrate Mass at the Verano Cemetery," Pope Leo announced after praying the midday Sunday Angelus.
- The Vatican announced this week that Pope Leo will offer five public Masses in Rome and Vatican City during the month of November, in addition to the nine Masses he is already scheduled to celebrate in South America, making November one of the busiest liturgical months of his pontificate so far.
- Doctors said Oct. 21 that Pope Leo would need no further cancer treatment after undergoing video-assisted surgery Oct. 13 in which the lower lobe of his right lung was removed.
- The pope “is following medical recommendations with great care and diligence, and with a deep determination to continue serving the Church,” Carbone said.
- Pope Leo XIV will travel more than 19,000 miles on 14 flights during the November trip to Peru, Argentina and Uruguay.
What's still developing
- His predecessor, Pope Francis, visited several war cemeteries over the years on All Soul's Day, including the American Military Cemetery, the French Military Cemetery and the Rome War Cemetery.
- Launched in 2013, Aleteia is a free online daily news publication.
- The full itinerary for the Pope’s Apostolic Journey, including information on the various public liturgies celebrated by the Pope, can be found on the Vatican website.
Sources
- Aciafricalink
- Catholicreviewlink
- Cathstanlink
- Detroitcatholiclink
- EWTN Newslink
- Ewtnvaticanlink
- Florida Catholic Medialink
- National Catholic Registerlink
- National Catholic Reporterlink
- OSV Newslink
- Vaticannewslink
- Wanted in Romelink
- Postregisterlink
- Wherepeterislink
- Thecatholicspiritlink
- Warpbeatlink
- BibleConnect — video link