Rome Reports

James O'Reilly From words to action—the Pope has spoken countless times about peace, constantly calling for it. But this time, he took things a step further than usual. During his Easter message, and overlooking a square overflowing with thousands of people, Pope Leo made the following appeal: POPE LEO XIVThe peace that Jesus gives us is not the kind that merely silences weapons, but the kind that touches and transforms each of our hearts.Let us convert to the peace of Christ! Let us ma

It is the most important night of the year for Christians. There is no light, everything is dark… Christ had died…in this dramatic setting, Pope Leo XIV arrived to his first Easter Vigil as pontiff… After the blessing of the Easter fire, he lit the Paschal candle, which is made of 100% natural beeswax—a powerful symbol of the Resurrection of Christ and the light of faith. From this flame, all the candles in the church are lit. And now, moving from darkness to light, the message is clear: C

Pope Leo XIV celebrated the first Easter morning Mass of his papacy with thousands of people in St. Peter's Square. The pontiff preached in his homily that, within each person, the weight of sin suffocates our souls or can make us feel as though we are in a tunnel with no way out. POPE LEO XIVWhen the disappointments or the loneliness we experience drain our hopes; when worries or resentments suffocate the joy of living; when we feel sadness or fatigue, when we feel betrayed or rejected, w

FULL TEXT OF THE EASTER MESSAGE AND URBI ET ORBI BLESSING: Brothers and sisters, Christ is risen! Happy Easter! For centuries, the Church has joyfully sung of the event that is the origin and foundation of her faith: “Yes, Christ my hope is arisen / Christ indeed from death is risen / Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning” (Easter Sequence). Easter is the victory of life over death, of light over darkness, of love over hatred. It is a victory that came at a very high price: Christ,

Actually, they're a replica of what are suppposed to be the footprints of Jesus Christ, preserved inside the Church of Quo Vadis on the ancient Appian Way.  See them close-up for yourself on this edition of relic hunter with our host, Kate Stevenson.

“Building bridges; the art of dialogue.” This is the theme of the so-called UnivForum 2026, an annual gathering that brings together thousands of university students in Rome during Holy Week. Participants from 25 countries attended this year. Therese BolesUNIV 2026UNIV is a week-long event for university students and it has a lot of layers. One of the layers is being in Rome, seeing the Pope, seeing the universality of the Church. And then another layer is seeing the culture of Rome. But the

After carrying the Cross through all 14 stations of the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum in Rome, Pope Leo XIV gave his blessing to all those present—more than 20,000 people who gathered at one of the most iconic monuments of the Eternal City. Dramatically illuminated by torches, the procession traced the fourteen stations that recall the Passion of Jesus Christ, accompanied by readings and meditations focused on human suffering, injustice, and hope. The celebration concluded with a final

This image will go down in history: for the first time, Pope Leo XIV carries the Cross through all 14 stations during the massive Way of the Cross held at the Colosseum.We had not witnessed a scene like this for 32 years, since 1994. Leo XIV’s gesture of carrying the Cross throughout the entire prayer holds strong symbolic weight within Christian tradition. By personally taking on the burden of the Cross along every station, the pontiff reinforces the idea of identifying with Christ’s sufferi

James O'Reilly Since resurrecting the tradition in the mid 20th Century, the Colosseum has been the setting for one of the most powerful events of Holy Week in Rome: the Via Crucis, or in English 'Way of the Cross', with its 14 stations—the episodes that mark the Passion of Jesus from His condemnation to His burial. This site was chosen because it was one of the places in the city where many of the first Christians were tortured and martyred. Like all the celebrations that have taken pl

Brothers and sisters, on this holy day the liturgy invites us to contemplate the passion of the Lord. We just heard it in the song. In front of this mystery of death and glory, it is natural for us to gather in silence. E in prayer, the cross of Christ, however, risks remaining incomprehensible. If we look at it only as an isolated fact. As a sudden event. In reality, it is the highest point of a journey. The fulfillment of a whole life in which Jesus learned to listen to and welcome the voice o

Ana Torres It is a tradition unique to Good Friday: the pope prostrating himself on the ground to adore the Crucifix of Jesus Christ—Pope Leo XIV's first time as pontiff. Presiding over the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday, Pope Leo was joined by thousands of faithful in St. Peter’s Basilica. They gathered to listen to the Gospel according to Saint John, as tradition dictates, since it has the most complete account of the Passion. Stripped of his mitre, his pastoral

Pope Leo XIV removed the Fisherman’s Ring, the chasuble, and his shoes to take part in one of the most significant moments of Holy Week 2026: kneeling to adore the wood on which Jesus died on Good Friday. At the beginning of the central rite of the Lord’s Passion, the Holy Father followed the rules of the Ceremonial. Before the eyes of the faithful and the members of the Roman Curia, he removed his chasuble, took off his shoes, and set aside the Fisherman’s Ring, symbol of his authority as th

Dear brothers and sisters, We are now on the threshold of the Easter Triduum. Once again, the Lord will lead us to the culmination of his mission, so that his passion, death and resurrection may become the heart of our mission. What we are about to relive, in fact, possesses the power to transform what human pride generally tends to harden: our identity and our place in the world. Jesus’ freedom changes hearts, heals wounds, refreshes and brightens our faces, reconciles and gathers us togethe

Pope Leo XIV’s homily during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday emphasized the profound meaning of Christ’s love, which is fully given in the Eucharist and in the gesture of the washing of the feet. The pope invited the faithful not to experience the liturgy simply as spectators, but as active participants in the commemoration of the Last Supper—there Jesus becomes our nourishment and reveals a love “to the extreme,” even amid evil and human frailty. In his reflection, he clarifie

Within the context of Holy Thursday, the liturgical rite of the washing of the feet is carried out with particular solemnity. It took place this year in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Pope’s cathedral as Bishop of Rome, during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. And it recalls Jesus’ lesson of divine humility for His disciples. After the homily, Pope Leo XIV followed the example of Jesus—he tied on an apron and proceeded to wash the feet of 12 priests. Notably, he had ordained eleven of the

Andrea, Gabriele, Francesco, Clody, Federico, Marco, Pietro, Matteo Giuseppe, Simone, Enrico, and Renzo are not the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, but they acted as such during the celebration of the Holy Thursday liturgy, in the washing of the feet carried out by Pope Leo XIV. What is most notable about the twelve priestly participants is that eleven of them were ordained by Pope Leo himself last May, just days after his election to the papacy. All of this took place in the Basilica of St. Joh

Just as the Easter Triduum is about to begin, one of the most solemn moments of Holy Week takes place: the blessing of the sacred oils during the Chrism Mass. This Holy Thursday celebration, presided over for the first time by Pope Leo XIV, brought together the clergy of Rome in a celebration of spiritual renewal. In this profoundly symbolic rite, the oils that will be used throughout the year in the sacraments are presented at the altar. During the ceremony, the oil of the sick and the oil o

It is one of the most important moments of Holy Week: when the sacred oils used for the administration of certain Sacraments are blessed for the coming year. In this Eucharistic celebration, there are three different types of oils that are blessed: the oil of the sick, used in the Anointing of the Sick; the oil of catechumens, used for the Sacrament of Baptism; and the Holy Chrism oil, a mixture of oil and perfume used in baptism, confirmation, and priestly ordination. This unique celebrat

Life in the Holy Land has changed profoundly. Extensive conflict throughout the Middle East and regular missile attacks have altered the daily routine of its inhabitants. Religious observance in many of the sacred places is currently suspended, creating tension between security and faith. The Magdala Center by the Sea of Galilee is a Catholic center for pilgrims and is dedicated to prayer and spiritual formation for Christians. At the head of the center is Father Juan María Solana, a Legio

During the most recent press conference with journalists in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo was asked if he had any words for the leaders of the United States and Israel as conflict in the Middle East continues and grows. This was his response: POPE LEO XIV “I'm told that President Trump has recently stated that he would like to end the war. Hopefully he's looking for an 'off-ramp'. Hopefully he's looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence, of bombing, which would be a significant cont