Illustration: 19th century by German Artist Bernard Plockhorst
Pope Leo’s homily for 4th Sunday of Easter to priests for ordination
St Peter’s Basilica – 26 April 2026
Gospel for 4th Sunday of Easter John 10:1-10
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; 2 but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them. 9 I am the door; if anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Dear brothers and sisters,
I would like to extend my greetings in particular to those who were just ordained as priests, their families, and the priests of Rome, many of whom were ordained on this Fourth Sunday of Easter. My greetings also go to all those present. This Sunday is full of life!
Although death surrounds us, Jesus’s promise is already coming true: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly”.
We witness the great generosity and enthusiasm of these young men whom the Church calls to be ordained as priests today.
As a diverse and numerous community gathered around one Master, we feel a renewing presence.
The Holy Spirit unites people and vocations in freedom so that no one lives for themselves anymore.
Every Sunday calls us out of the “tomb” of isolation and seclusion so we can gather in the garden of communion, where the risen Christ is our guardian.
The vocation of our brothers invites us to reflect on the priest’s ministry of communion.
“Life in abundance” comes to us through a personal encounter with the Son.
However, it immediately opens our eyes to our brothers and sisters who are experiencing or seeking the “power to become children of God” (John 1:12).
This is one secret to the life of the priest.
Dear ordinands, the deeper your bond with Christ, the more radical your belonging to all of humanity. There is no opposition, nor competition, between heaven and earth; in Jesus they are united forever. This living and dynamic mystery binds the heart to an indissoluble love: it binds and fills it.
Like the love between spouses, the love that inspires celibacy for the Kingdom of God must be nurtured and continually renewed.
Every genuine affection matures and bears fruit over time.
You are called to a specific, delicate, and difficult way of loving, and even more so, of allowing yourselves to be loved freely.
This will not only make you good priests, but also honest and helpful citizens who build peace and social friendship.
In this regard, it is striking that the proclaimed Gospel refers to aggressive figures and actions. Jesus describes strangers, thieves, and robbers who disregard boundaries and intrude between him and his loved ones.
They come, he says, “only to steal, kill, and destroy.”
Their voices are different from his and unrecognizable.
The Lord’s words are full of realism.
He knows the cruelty of the world in which he walks with us.
Through his words, he evokes not only physical aggression but also spiritual aggression.
However, this does not deter him from giving up his life.
Denunciation does not lead to renunciation, and danger does not lead to flight.
This is another secret to the life of a priest: we must not be frightened by reality.
It is the Lord of life who calls us.
May the ministry entrusted to you, dear brothers, convey the peace of those who know they are safe, even in the face of danger.
The need for security can make people aggressive and cause communities to close in on themselves. It can also lead people to seek out enemies and scapegoats.
Fear is often present around us, and perhaps within us as well.
May your security not lie in your role, but in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, as well as in your participation in the story of salvation alongside your people.
This salvation is evident in the good deeds quietly performed by people of goodwill in parishes and communities where you will join them as fellow travelers.
What you proclaim and celebrate will protect you, even in difficult times.
The risen One is already present in the communities where you will be sent, and many have already commendably followed him.
You will recognize his wounds and hear his voice.
You will encounter people who will guide you to him.
These communities will also help you become saints!
In turn, help them walk together following Jesus, the Good Shepherd, so they may become places—gardens—of life, rising anew and sharing with others.
People often lack a place where they can understand that it is better and more beautiful to be together and that it is possible to get along.
Facilitating encounters, bringing together those who would otherwise never meet, and reconciling divisions is the same as celebrating the Eucharist and reconciliation.
Coming together always means establishing the Church anew.
At one point in today’s Gospel reading, Jesus begins to speak about himself using an important image.
He describes himself as the “shepherd,” but his listeners do not seem to understand.
So he changed the metaphor, saying, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.”
In Jerusalem, there was a gate called the “Gate of the Sheep,” located near the Pool of Bethesda.
Sheep and lambs entered the temple through it, first being immersed in water and then destined for sacrifice.
This image immediately reminds us of baptism.
“I am the gate,” Jesus said.
The Jubilee showed us that this image continues to resonate with millions of people. For centuries, doors — often literal portals — have invited people to enter the Church.
Sometimes, the baptismal font was built outside, like the ancient Pool of Bethesda. Beneath its porticoes, “many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed” (John 5:3) lay waiting.
Dear ordinands, consider yourselves part of this suffering humanity awaiting abundant life. By introducing others to the faith, you will rekindle your own.
Together with the baptized faithful, you will cross the threshold of the mystery every day — the threshold bearing the face and name of Jesus.
Never hide this holy door.
Do not block it. Do not hinder those who wish to enter.
“You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering” (Luke 11:52) is Jesus’s bitter rebuke to those who have hidden the key to a passage meant for all.
Today, especially when statistics seem to indicate a divide between people and the church, it is important to keep the door open!
Let people in and be prepared to go out.
Here’s another secret for your life: You are a channel, not a filter.
Many believe they already know what lies beyond the threshold.
They carry memories with them, perhaps from a distant past.
Often, something within them is alive and has not died out, drawing them in.
Other times, however, something else within them still bleeds and repels them.
The Lord knows, and he waits.
Be a reflection of his patience and tenderness.
You belong to everyone and are for everyone! Let this be the fundamental purpose of your mission—to keep the threshold open and direct others to it without saying too much.
On the other hand, Jesus clarifies and insists: “I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in, go out, and find pasture.”
He does not stifle our freedom.
Some groups are easy to enter but almost impossible to leave, suffocating their members.
This is not the case with the Lord’s Church or the community of his disciples.
Jesus says that whoever is saved can “come in and go out and find pasture.”
We all seek shelter, rest, and care.
The church’s doors are open, but not to cut us off from life.
Life does not end in a parish, an association, a movement, or a group.
Those who are saved can “go out and find pasture.”
Dear brothers,
Go out and discover culture, people, and life!
Marvel at the things God grows without our help.
The people you will serve as priests—the lay faithful, families, young and old, children, and the sick—inhabit pastures that you must come to know.
Sometimes it will seem as if you lack the necessary maps.
But the Good Shepherd has them. Listen to his familiar voice.
So many people today feel lost!
Many feel they can no longer find their way.
In this regard, there is no more precious testimony than this: “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul. He guides me along right paths for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:2-3).
His name is Jesus. “God saves!”
You are witnesses to this. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6).
Dear brothers, sisters, and young people, may it be so!
