Illustration: Jacob Jordaens, The Four Evangelists, 1625–1630.
Pope Leo’s address to the Plenary Session of
the Dicastery for Evangelization –
Section on Fundamental Questions of Evangelization in the World
Consistory Hall – Thursday, 28 May 2026
Pope Leo’s address:
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, peace be with you!
Your Eminences, Your Excellencies, and dear brothers and sisters,
I am delighted to meet with you at the conclusion of the plenary session of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s Section for Fundamental Questions of Evangelization in the World.
This occasion provides an opportunity for me to share some thoughts on the life of the Church, especially in regard to the years ahead.
First, I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the outstanding work the Dicastery performed during last year’s Jubilee.
We experienced a time of grace, with millions of pilgrims coming to Rome.
What was the final number?
They say 30 million. [Communicate the data.] More than 33 million!
This event required great organizational effort, manifested in a warm welcome and, above all, attention to the spiritual dimension, as the Lord poured out an abundance of gifts on believers.
The Holy Doors of the four papal basilicas did not prevent the local churches from experiencing the Holy Year intensely.
All over the world, hope has become central to Christian life.
The emphasis placed on the “younger sister,” which almost goes unnoticed yet pulls the two eldest, faith and charity, still needs to be proclaimed and lived with intensity and conviction.
Now more than ever, the world is thirsty for hope.
He wants to live in peace, certain that building a city worthy of the children of God is possible and real because it is imbued with hope offering true, not illusory, objectives.
Therefore, let us not interrupt this proclamation sustained by the Lord Jesus’ promise to always remain with us. This promise is made visible through the witness we are called to offer in order to be faithful disciples of his word. (Matthew 28:18-20 – Jesus said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”).
Evangelization should be the fundamental motivation behind every action of the universal Church and local communities.
Only in this way can faith be rediscovered in all its beauty and expressed to the fullest.
The proclamation of the Gospel instills hope and is not a utopian proposal.
It attracts because it manifests the call to love and truth.
We cannot overlook the fact that the crisis of faith, together with other sociocultural factors, has led to widespread religious indifference, especially in Western countries.
To many, faith appears to be irrelevant to one’s life.
The underlying danger, which is not always perceived as being as serious as it is, is that we lose sight of what is most human: the search for meaning.
While a technological culture that promises to respond to every need is spreading, the great existential questions remain unanswered.
In this context, too, encountering Christ can restore meaning and value to people’s lives.
The Church rediscovers the everlasting relevance of the mission she received from the Risen Lord.
No one can replace the Church in this mission, which is urgent and necessary to ensure a future of peace, justice, freedom, and fraternity for humanity.
As was discussed in the Consistory last January, Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium continues to “represent a decisive point of reference.
It refocuses everything on the kerygma as the heart of Christian and ecclesial identity” (Letter to the Cardinals, April 22, 2026).
I therefore invite you to take up Evangelii Gaudium in your work at all levels to promote a “Christocentric and kerygmatic mission born of an encounter with Christ capable of transforming lives.”
The strong demand for spirituality, especially among young people, deserves great attention.
This demand was clearly expressed during the Jubilee for young people.
The new generation is open to the Gospel.
On the contrary, many people want to know it better when they rediscover it because they perceive that the secret to true happiness lies in it.
I am confident that your Dicastery is attentive to this pressing question of our time, which requires a credible and coherent response.
Evangelisation does not rely on the efficiency of structures, social relevance, or the consent that can be received at any time.
What remains essential is to trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit and follow the paths he indicates to lead many to Christ, his saving word, and his renewing love.
In light of changed conditions and dynamics in the transmission of the faith from generation to generation, evangelization today must also be measured in a particular way.
In some regions of the world, this transmission has nearly ceased, requiring the ability to take on new challenges.
The causes of this situation are many and well-known.
The result is a spiritual “poverty” among the younger generations: a lack of motivation and tools to mature in complete freedom and adhere to a faith that gives life meaning.
Thankfully, there are numerous and varied experiences throughout the world through which Christian communities, associations, movements, and ecclesial groups meet, listen to, and dialogue with young people.
The widespread cultural climate of hypermedia and consumerism reduces the ability to learn patiently and carry out a personal search for truth with perseverance and critical thinking.
Each message risks being perceived as just another opinion.
In this context, the transmission of the faith necessarily involves encountering individuals and communities who express the joy of the Christian faith and live out an evangelical lifestyle with coherence.
Christianity cannot be made attractive by watering down its contents and softening its demands, but by bearing witness with humility and courage to “the way, the truth, and the life” that has converted and sanctified so many people.
As Benedict XVI said: “What we need at this moment in history are people who, through an enlightened and lived faith, make God credible in this world.”
We need people who keep their gaze fixed on God and learn true humanity from him.
We need people whose intellects are illuminated by the light of God, to whom God opens his heart so their intellects can speak to the intellects of others, and whose hearts can open the hearts of others. Only through people touched by God can God return to mankind” (Benedict’s Europe in the Crisis of Cultures, Siena 2005, 63–64).
Therefore, the holiness of life always remains the most convincing form of the beauty of the Christian faith, which transcends time and is proposed to every culture.
I would also like to speak with you about catechesis, which plays a crucial role in the life of the Church by forming and transmitting the faith.
Particular attention is due to catechumens, who are increasingly asking for baptism.
The community’s joyful service in welcoming and accompanying catechumens cannot end with the celebration of the sacrament.
The community has the same responsibility for the subsequent task of offering an environment in which the expectations that led to adherence to Christ and his Church are reflected.
The duty to maintain the choice of faith made at baptism requires parish communities to continually strive for a high standard of Christian living.
This ensures that the newly baptized have an environment conducive to coherent growth, fostered by interpersonal relationships grounded in love and mutual service.
Similar care should be given to boys and girls receiving the sacrament of Confirmation.
I encourage the many initiatives that support them in continuing their journey of faith and promoting their human and Christian growth.
These initiatives become truly effective through personal attention, reflecting the Lord’s unique and personal love.
Dear friends,
I thank you for your service to my ministry and to the entire Church. Entrusting you to the Virgin Mary, the perfect disciple and missionary of the Gospel.
I accompany you with my blessing.
Thank you!
