By Devin Watkins
Pope Leo XIV met with stewards, trustees, and members of The Papal Foundation on Saturday, as the US-based charitable organization makes a pilgrimage to Rome.
He recalled that his former Diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru, received financial support from the foundation, and thanked them for their mission to assist the Successor of Peter’s ministry to the universal Church.
“I was pleased to learn that membership in the Foundation continues to grow each year and that you have expressed an openness to increase the support provided as well as find new ways of being of service,” he said.
Though Christ commissioned the Apostles and their successors, the Bishops, to guide the Church, he said, every Catholic has been entrusted with the mission to proclaim the Gospel in word and charitable deed.
“As St James wrote to the early Christian community, faith without works is dead and has no power to save,” he said, “and the Gospels teach us that the Lord expects His disciples to care for the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable.”
Pope Leo noted that The Papal Foundation provides humanitarian aid and scholarships for people from around the world, participating in the Church’s evangelical mission.
These include priests and consecrated religious who are able to receive an advanced education so that they may become future leaders in the Church.
“Your generosity,” he said, “has allowed countless people to experience in a concrete fashion the goodness and kindness of God in their own communities.”
The Pope thanked members of The Papal Foundation for their generosity on behalf of all those who have benefited from their kindness.
Recalling that their encounter takes place during the Easter Season, he pointed to the Lord’s greeting “Peace be with you!” and renewed Christ’s invitation for His disciples to be instruments of peace.
Pope St Paul VI, he noted, called development “the new name of peace,” adding that his predecessor meant that “true harmony is not simply the absence of conflict, but comes from actively promoting an authentic integral human development.”
“Fostering genuine progress through tangible initiatives like those supported by the Foundation is a sure way to encourage concord among communities and individuals,” he said.
Finally, Pope Leo XIV renewed his gratitude to The Papal Foundation for their pilgrimage to Rome and for their support for his ministry and the work of the universal Church.
“I ask for your continued prayers for my ministry as the Successor of Saint Peter and for the needs of the Church.” – Vatican News
