At the conclusion of today’s Angelus address, Pope Leo XIV expressed closeness to the victims of European wildfires and recalled the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.

At the conclusion of today’s Angelus address, Pope Leo XIV renewed his appeal for peace in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East.

Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï, O.M.M., the current Maronite Patriarch, preached the homily at the beatification Mass (video). Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, was among the other prelates who were present.

Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to Blessed Hoayek at the conclusion of today’s Sunday Angelus address:

For more than 30 years, he led the Maronite Church with great dedication and pastoral sensitivity. A man of dialogue and hope, he was an outstanding ecclesial, social and political leader, so much so that he came to be known as the “Father of Greater Lebanon.”

May the prayers and intercession of the new blessed always accompany the Maronite faithful throughout the world, and obtain the gift of peace for all the people of Lebanon, a country dear to my heart.

Pope Leo XIV told pilgrims gathered in Liberty Square in Castel Gandolfo for his Sunday Angelus address (video) that Jesus is “the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price, the net that gathers those who are scattered.”

On July 26, the Church commemorates the 6th World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. Pope Leo XIV’s message for the day is entitled “I will never forget you“ (Isaiah 49.15).

“From France to Spain, and across vast areas of the Mediterranean, fires of unprecedented violence are devouring forests, countryside, homes, and infrastructure, fueled by an increasingly explosive combination of fierce winds, extreme heat, and prolonged drought,” the newspaper reported. “The flames are advancing with alarming speed, turning entire landscapes into expanses of ash within a matter of hours.”

The unsigned article concluded:

Every burned hectare represents lost biodiversity, destroyed habitats, carbon dioxide emissions released into the atmosphere, and landscapes that will take decades to regenerate. It also means farms brought to their knees, economic activities paralyzed, families forced to leave everything behind, and communities watching the landscape that has defined their lives for generations vanish in a matter of hours.

“For the Church in Asia, leadership is not supervision from a distance but missionary closeness; not self-centered administration but pastoral conversion,” Cardinal Poola, the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, preached at Mass during the plenary assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences in Jakarta. “The Church cannot proclaim Christ through power, but through humble service, sincere dialogue, courageous witness, and compassionate presence.”

Pope Leo XIV today named Archbishop Christophe Zakhia El-Kassis as the new Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York.

In a video message released today, Pope Leo XIV asked the bishops of Asia to promote a Eucharistic spirituality.

The materials, according to the subcommittee, “support Catholics in seeking the conversion of hearts and to address the sin of racism. These materials are designed to guide parishes and individuals in meaningful prayer and reflection, especially on September 9th, the Feast of St. Peter Claver, and throughout the year.”