In a message read during the funeral ceremony of the Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV describes him as the 'voice of reconciliation' and 'tireless builder of unity.' He also recalls his passion for music, 'an inspiration for the search for beauty' that unites the Churches.

Vatican News

On March 17, the longest serving patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, died after being hospitalized earlier that day.

During the funeral of the Late patriarch, Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, read a message by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV addressed to His Eminence Shio Metropolitan of Senaki and Chkhorotsku Locum Tenens of the of the Patriarchal See Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Georgia. 

In the midst of the violence in the Middle East, the Custody of the Holy Land invites people around the world to spiritually join in the Prayers "so that war and violence may cease, and that the paths of dialogue, diplomacy, and politics...may be walked with courage and responsibility."

Despite access to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem being restricted for security reasons, "Prayer continues uninterruptedly in the Holy Places."

This is what the Custody of the Holy Land reported in a statement, highlighting that celebrations, rituals, daily processions, and Liturgical Prayers have never ceased "day or night."

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV meets the Focolare Movement and encourages them to promote unity and peace within their organization and throughout the world, especially at this moment in history, while also always respecting each person’s freedom and conscience.

In these times affected by conflicts and divisions, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV encouraged the Focolare movement to be witnesses of unity within their structures and throughout the world, while respecting the freedom and conscience of each person.

“We are in great need of this spirit of unity today, because the poison of division and conflict tends to corrupt hearts and social relationships and must be countered by the Gospel witness of unity, dialogue, forgiveness, and peace,” he said in his address at the Vatican on Saturday, March 21, 2026.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV writes a letter to Popotus, an Italian weekly supplement dedicated to children that is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and invites everyone to keep a “childlike outlook on reality” in order to “remain human."

“In these days of great concern over wars that threaten the future of humanity,” we must look to children, because their “lost” eyes can lead to true conversion, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV wrote in a letter to the readers of Popotus, the weekly supplement dedicated to children as part of the newspaper of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Avvenire.  

Antelias Pilgrimage Day was solemnly commemorated with a Vespers ceremony on Saturday, 21 March 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias, Lebanon, drawing a large number of pilgrims and faithful who gathered in Prayer and reflection to mark this significant annual observance. The occasion falls on the Feast commemorating the descent of St. Gregory the Illuminator, the Patron Saint of the Armenian Church, into the pit of Khor Virab.

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), presided over the Ceremony, delivering an inspiring message to the congregation at its conclusion. He began by expressing gratitude to God for the opportunity to celebrate this Feast and pilgrimage, especially in light of the current challenges facing Lebanon. Reflecting on the enduring role of Saints, His Holiness described them as guiding stars who illuminate our lives even in the darkest times.

At the Sunday Angelus, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV reflects on the Gospel account of the resurrection of Lazarus, and how it invites us to the fullness of life and to be renewed by God's grace to walk in the light of love, reflecting His boundless charity.

Greeting the visitors and pilgrims in Saint Peter's Square for the midday Angelus on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV spoke about Lord's raising of Lazarus, "a sign that speaks of Christ’s victory over death and of the gift of eternal life, which we receive through Baptism."

In his Reflections, the Pope said Jesus tells us today, just as he did to Lazarus' sister Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die”.

After Praying the Angelus, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV calls for an end to violence around the world, urging everyone to persevere in Prayer because “we cannot remain silent in the face of the suffering of so many people, innocent victims of these conflicts.”

Despite the rainy weather in Rome, thousands of pilgrims still gathered in St. Peter’s Square to recite the Angelus with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.

Following the Prayer, the Pope expressed his deep concern for the ongoing situation in the Middle East, as well as other areas of the world “torn apart by war and violence.” He stressed that “we cannot remain silent in the face of the suffering of so many people, innocent victims of these conflicts.”

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV meets with Italian journalists from the news broadcast TG2 and warns against the media becoming a “megaphone” for power, especially in times of conflict.

In times of war, the media must recount conflicts from the human perspective of those who are suffering and avoid becoming a “megaphone” for power, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV said on Monday.

“Always, but especially in the dramatic circumstances of war such as those we are experiencing, information must guard against the risk of turning into propaganda,” he said in an address to journalists of the news broadcast TG2, by the Italian state-owned TV Channel Rai 2.

On March 13, 2026, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), continued his regular consultations with Armenian Church and Community Leaders across the Middle East, reaffirming his close Pastoral attention to the well-being of Armenian Communities in the region.

Throughout the day, His Holiness held telephone conversations with His Eminence Archbishop Mesrob Sarkissian, Prelate of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Neighboring Areas, and with Krikor Mahseredjian, Co-Chair of the Lay Council of the Central Council of the Catholicosate. Reports indicate that a general atmosphere of uncertainty and insecurity continues to affect these countries…

Throughout the day on March 12, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), maintained contact with Church and Community Leaders across the Middle East to receive updates on the situation affecting Armenian Communities in the region.

On March 11, 2026, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of the World, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), received his brother in Christ His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), at the Patriarchal Residence in Atchaneh, Lebanon.

His Holiness Catholicos Aram was accompanied by His Eminence Archbishop Nareg Almazian, Director of the Department of Ecumenical Relations, and Rev. Father Sarkis Aprahamian.

During his weekly General Audience, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV continues his reflection on the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 'Lumen gentium', and emphasizes the mission of the Church, as it is made up of the people of God united in Christ.

In a world marked by divisions and tensions, the Church unites her members through their faith in Christ and His love and therefore has the mission to reach out to everyone, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV said during the Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter’s Square on March 11.

“Unified in Christ, Lord and Saviour of every man and woman, the Church can never turn inwards on herself, but is open to everyone and is for everyone,” the Pope highlighted.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV mourns the Late Lebanese Priest, Fr. Pierre El-Rahi, who was killed amid the conflict in the Middle East, expressing his closeness to the Lebanese people and inviting Christians to pray for the many innocent victims of war.

"Let us continue to pray for peace in Iran and throughout the Middle East, especially for the many civilian victims, including many innocent children. May our prayer be a comfort for those who suffer and a seed of hope for the future."

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV made this appeal at his weekly General Audience in the Vatican on Wednesday, recalling that the Funeral of Father Pierre El-Rahi is celebrated on Wednesday in Qlayaa, Lebanon. 

The Pope recalled that Father El-Rahi was the Maronite parish priest of one of the Christian villages in southern Lebanon, which, in these days, "are once again experiencing the tragedy of war."

As Southern Lebanon faces renewed conflict and upheaval, the country's Foreign Minister requests assistance from the Holy See to “preserve the Christian presence” near the border with [Israel].

Lebanon has appealed to the Holy See for help in order to preserve the presence of Christians in the south of the country.

Since the outbreak of renewed conflict in the Middle East, Christians near the border with [Israel] have endured relentless bombardments and evacuation orders, triggering a massive humanitarian crisis.

Youssef Raggi, Lebanon’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, spoke with His Eminence Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Vatican Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, which was confirmed by the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV continues his Pastoral visits to parishes in the peripheries of Rome, travelling to the Santa Maria della Presentazione parish in the Torrevecchia neighbourhood. The visit marks his fourth to a Roman parish since mid-February.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV undertook a pastoral visit to the Parish of Santa Maria della Presentazione in the western neighbourhood of Torrevecchia on Sunday afternoon, his penultimate such engagement to a Roman Parish marking the season of Lent.

He was welcomed in the square outside the church by parishioners, families and groups of children preparing for First Communion, together with scouts and youth groups. The Parish Priest, Father Paolo Stacchiotti, greeted the Pope along with Cardinal Baldo Reina, vicar for the Diocese of Rome, and Cardinal Francesco Montenegro, Archbishop emeritus of Agrigento.

We are following the war in the Middle East with grave concern. Some experts consider the current war the beginning of a third world war, while others view it as part of a long series of military confrontations. Whatever interpretation may be given, the military actions unleashed against Iran by the United States and [Israel] are in fact becoming increasingly complex, intensifying, and expanding, drawing in the entire Middle East and even showing signs of spreading beyond the region. Uncertainty is deepening, chaos is spreading, the number of human casualties and wounded is rising, physical destruction is widening, and the wave of refugees is growing.

All countries in the Middle East, to varying degrees, face the devastating effects of the war across security, safety, economy, society, politics, and other areas. However, Iran and Lebanon continue to experience the direct and severe impacts of the conflict…

Cilicia Analytical Platform Holds Emergency Meeting on Middle East War

The Cilicia Analytical Platform convened an extraordinary online meeting on the evening of March 5, 2026, presided over by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC). The sole agenda of the meeting was the war in the Middle East and its consequences.

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I briefed participants on his recent telephone consultations with the spiritual and community leaders of the Armenian dioceses in Iran, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, and Syria. He particularly addressed the situation in the three Armenian diocesan regions in Iran and the increasingly unpredictable situation in Lebanon.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV responds to a reader of the monthly magazine Piazza San Pietro who denounces femicides and calls for an alliance between schools and Church to promote “a culture of respect” among young people.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV responded to a reader's question in this month’s edition of the magazine Piazza San Pietro, made public on March 8, International Women’s Day. The Pope responded, as he customarily does, to a reader who asked him for some help or reflections and guidance on very current issues. In the March issue, the letter is signed by Giovanna in Rome. She writes “with tearful eyes” becoming the spokesperson for the tragedy of many women for whom “loving a man, marrying him, or choosing to live with him and create a family” becomes “a trap.”

During the Sunday Angelus, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV calls for a renewed commitment to recognizing the equal dignity of men and women.

Addressing some fifteen thousand pilgrims and visitors in Saint Peter's Square gathered for the Sunday Angelus, as well as many thousands of others watching from home, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV noted that today, March 8, marks International Women’s Day.

The Pope encouraged his listeners to "renew our commitment...to recognizing the equal dignity of men and women", an imperative that for Christians is grounded in the Gospel. He decried the fact that many women from childhood onwards are still discriminated against and subjected to various forms of violence, and he said that "to them, in a special way, go my solidarity and my Prayers." 

The General Secretariat of the Synod publishes the first two Final Reports of the Study Groups established by His Holiness Pope Francis following the First Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops: that of Study Group No. 3 on 'The mission in the digital environment' and that of Study Group No. 4 on 'The revision of the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis in a missionary Synodal perspective.'

The General Secretariat of the Synod has today released the first two Final Reports of the Study Groups established by His Holiness Pope Francis following the First Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

The reports published were that of Study Group No. 3 on 'The Mission in the Digital Environment' and Study Group No. 4 on 'The Revision of the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis in a Missionary Synodal Perspective.'