Homily of the Holy Father Leo XIV
Remembering all the Faithful Departed
Rome, Campo Verano – Monday, November 2, 2026
Matthew 5:1-12
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Pope Leo’s Homily
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We have gathered in this place of prayer and remembrance, of love and hope, to celebrate the Eucharist.
We offer this celebration in honor of the departed faithful, especially those who rest here and those whom we carry in our hearts.On the day after All Saints’ Day, we commemorate the faithful departed and direct our prayers to them.
We turn to the Father in heaven and ask that the holy and happy lives enjoyed by so many of his children embrace the souls of all who rest in peace.Our faith is enlightened by the proclaimed Word, which strengthens our trust in God’s hands.
As the Book of Wisdom reminds us, these hands effectively guard the souls of the righteous: “No torment shall come upon them” (Wisdom 3:1).
The promise of salvation is the essence of our prayer to the Lord of Life for all the faithful who have died, especially today.May his steadfast, fatherly hands protect them forever, allowing them to fully experience the reciprocal, life-giving relationship the Lord promises his people in the Book of Revelation: “They shall be his people, and he shall be ‘God with them'” (Revelations 21:3).
May our prayers implore the fulfillment of the Good Shepherd’s promise of
eternal life and communion with his sheep, who will never perish and whom no one will snatch from his hand.
(John 10:28 – I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand).
Dear friends,
We have heard the Gospel of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12). It’s as if Jesus is showing his disciples a self-portrait and proclaiming, “Blessed are you!” (v. 11).
The Beatitudes are the path to a fulfilling life, both now and forever.
When we hear them proclaimed in the liturgy, we know the risen Lord himself is speaking to us.
The message of salvation contained in the Beatitudes resonates with special spiritual power in cemeteries, which are thresholds between mortality and eternity.
Jesus tells us, “Blessed are those who live this way, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Of the eight Beatitudes recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, one speaks to us in a special way today.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”.
In this moment, we pray for all who have recently lost a loved one, especially those deprived of a loved one by senseless war violence.
May the tears of so many mothers, children, and the elderly move the consciences of who have the power to stop the fighting!
On the eight-hundredth anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi’s death, the memory of his addition to the “Song of the Sun” comes to mind.
He added the “Blessing” when he sensed that his life was coming to an end. “Praise be to the death of the flesh, which no living man can escape, by our sister.
Woe to those who die in mortal sins;
Blessed are those whom [death] finds in your most holy will, for the second death shall do them no harm.”
Dear brothers and sisters,
Faith in Christ teaches us that our bond with the faithful dead is not broken, but rather, transformed.
Through intercessory prayer for the deceased, we accompany our loved ones on their journey to full communion with the Lord—a communion that we already experience here in the Eucharist.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Our Faith in Christ teaches us that our bond with the deceased is not broken, but transformed.
Through intercessory prayer for the deceased, we accompany our loved ones on their journey to full communion with the Lord—a communion that we already experience here in the Eucharist. (Revelations 21:4).