Pope Leo XIV addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his general audience on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jun 4, 2025 / 15:52 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV will gather the cardinals at the Vatican on June 13 to give final approval to the canonizations of eight blesseds whose causes were promoted by Pope Francis.

This event is known as an ordinary public consistory and will be the first of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate. It should be noted that Pope Francis convened it at the end of February, when he was hospitalized at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, but no date was set.

This ceremony determines the final step of the canonization process through a vote to set the date on which the blessed will be proclaimed a saint.

On Wednesday, the Office of Liturgical Celebrations confirmed the list of blesseds.

Among them is Blessed Bartolo Longo, an Italian layman and lawyer and founder of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Pompeii, Italy.

After abandoning spiritualism and Satanist sects, he embraced Catholicism, became a fervent catechist and a man dedicated to assisting those most in need. He is also recognized as one of the 20th century’s greatest disseminators of devotion to the rosary.

The June 13 consistory is also expected to vote on the date of canonization of the “doctor of the poor,” Venezuelan José Gregorio Hernández.

Also on the list is Peter To Rot, the first blessed from Papua New Guinea, who was killed in World War II for defending marriage.

The cardinals will also decide the date of canonization of Vincenza Maria Poloni, founder of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona, credited with the inexplicable cure of Audelia Parra, a Chilean woman.

Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan, a bishop martyred in the Armenian genocide of 1915, will also be canonized soon.

María del Monte Carmelo Rendiles Martínez, founder of the Congregation of the Servants of Jesus, is slated to become Venezuela’s first female saint. “Mother Carmen,” as many knew her, will be remembered for her immense kindness and wise prudence.

Maria Troncatti, a professed religious of the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. This future saint was an Italian missionary who spent much of her life in Ecuador.

Finally, there is Pier Giorgio Frassati, a lay member of the Third Order of St. Dominic, whose canonization is scheduled for Aug. 3. This adventurer and mountain climber developed a profound love for Christ in the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary from a young age.

In his youth, he devoted himself entirely to serving the poor and sought to evangelize through politics, bringing his friends closer to the faith.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Pope Leo XIV addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his general audience on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jun 4, 2025 / 15:52 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV will gather the cardinals at the Vatican on June 13 to give final approval to the canonizations of eight blesseds whose causes were promoted by Pope Francis.

This event is known as an ordinary public consistory and will be the first of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate. It should be noted that Pope Francis convened it at the end of February, when he was hospitalized at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, but no date was set.

This ceremony determines the final step of the canonization process through a vote to set the date on which the blessed will be proclaimed a saint.

On Wednesday, the Office of Liturgical Celebrations confirmed the list of blesseds.

Among them is Blessed Bartolo Longo, an Italian layman and lawyer and founder of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Pompeii, Italy.

After abandoning spiritualism and Satanist sects, he embraced Catholicism, became a fervent catechist and a man dedicated to assisting those most in need. He is also recognized as one of the 20th century’s greatest disseminators of devotion to the rosary.

The June 13 consistory is also expected to vote on the date of canonization of the “doctor of the poor,” Venezuelan José Gregorio Hernández.

Also on the list is Peter To Rot, the first blessed from Papua New Guinea, who was killed in World War II for defending marriage.

The cardinals will also decide the date of canonization of Vincenza Maria Poloni, founder of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona, credited with the inexplicable cure of Audelia Parra, a Chilean woman.

Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan, a bishop martyred in the Armenian genocide of 1915, will also be canonized soon.

María del Monte Carmelo Rendiles Martínez, founder of the Congregation of the Servants of Jesus, is slated to become Venezuela’s first female saint. “Mother Carmen,” as many knew her, will be remembered for her immense kindness and wise prudence.

Maria Troncatti, a professed religious of the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. This future saint was an Italian missionary who spent much of her life in Ecuador.

Finally, there is Pier Giorgio Frassati, a lay member of the Third Order of St. Dominic, whose canonization is scheduled for Aug. 3. This adventurer and mountain climber developed a profound love for Christ in the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary from a young age.

In his youth, he devoted himself entirely to serving the poor and sought to evangelize through politics, bringing his friends closer to the faith.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

A New Jersey former parish bookkeeper has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $300,000 from two parishes, June 3, 2025. / Credit: Zack McCarthy via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

CNA Staff, Jun 4, 2025 / 13:21 pm (CNA).

A former parish employee in New Jersey has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $300,000 from two parishes several months after she was accused of the thefts. 

Former bookkeeper Melissa Rivera admitted to taking $292,728 from parishes in Washington Township and Pompton Plains, the Morris County prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday.

The two parishes were Our Lady of the Mountain and Our Lady of Good Counsel, both located in Morris County. 

Rivera was charged with multiple counts of theft and forgery after being accused earlier this year of writing herself more than 100 checks from parish accounts between May 2018 and May 2024.  

The state said it would recommend probation for Rivera, 60, though she would have to serve 364 days in the Morris County Correctional Center as a condition of that deal, the prosecutor’s office said. 

Rivera will also be required to repay the parishes the money she stole. 

She will be sentenced on July 11, the prosecutor’s office said. The county’s financial crimes unit helped prosecute the case. 

Several Catholic officials have faced prosecution and jail time in recent years over thefts from their respective parishes. 

Another bookkeeper at a Florida Catholic parish was sentenced in November 2024 to more than two years of federal prison after stealing nearly $900,000 from the church at which she managed financial records. 

In July 2024, meanwhile, a priest in Missouri pleaded guilty to stealing $300,000 from a church at which he was pastor for nearly a decade.

And in May 2024 a former employee at a Tampa, Florida, Catholic church pleaded guilty to stealing more than three-quarters of a million dollars from the parish while employed there.

A New Jersey former parish bookkeeper has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $300,000 from two parishes, June 3, 2025. / Credit: Zack McCarthy via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

CNA Staff, Jun 4, 2025 / 13:21 pm (CNA).

A former parish employee in New Jersey has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $300,000 from two parishes several months after she was accused of the thefts. 

Former bookkeeper Melissa Rivera admitted to taking $292,728 from parishes in Washington Township and Pompton Plains, the Morris County prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday.

The two parishes were Our Lady of the Mountain and Our Lady of Good Counsel, both located in Morris County. 

Rivera was charged with multiple counts of theft and forgery after being accused earlier this year of writing herself more than 100 checks from parish accounts between May 2018 and May 2024.  

The state said it would recommend probation for Rivera, 60, though she would have to serve 364 days in the Morris County Correctional Center as a condition of that deal, the prosecutor’s office said. 

Rivera will also be required to repay the parishes the money she stole. 

She will be sentenced on July 11, the prosecutor’s office said. The county’s financial crimes unit helped prosecute the case. 

Several Catholic officials have faced prosecution and jail time in recent years over thefts from their respective parishes. 

Another bookkeeper at a Florida Catholic parish was sentenced in November 2024 to more than two years of federal prison after stealing nearly $900,000 from the church at which she managed financial records. 

In July 2024, meanwhile, a priest in Missouri pleaded guilty to stealing $300,000 from a church at which he was pastor for nearly a decade.

And in May 2024 a former employee at a Tampa, Florida, Catholic church pleaded guilty to stealing more than three-quarters of a million dollars from the parish while employed there.

Pope Leo XIV gives a blessing to memebers of the National Italian American Foundation in their meeting on June 4, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jun 4, 2025 / 11:34 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV met with the National Italian American Foundation on Wednesday and blessed their work in continuing the spiritual and cultural legacy of their ancestors.

Before holding his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father met with board members of the leading Italian American foundation and thanked them for their various initiatives in the U.S. and Italy.

“Your work to continue to educate young people regarding Italian culture and history as well as providing scholarships and other charitable assistance in both countries helps to maintain a mutually beneficial and concrete connection between the two nations,” Pope Leo said at the morning meeting.

The foundation, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary, provides $1.5 million each year in educational scholarships and heritage travel opportunities to young students.

During the brief meeting, the Holy Father said the Catholic faith is a “hallmark” of the legacy built by many people who immigrated to the U.S. from Italy.

“A hallmark of many who immigrated to the United States from Italy was their Catholic faith, with its rich traditions of popular piety and devotions that they continued to practice in their new nation,” he said. “This faith sustained them in difficult moments, even as they arrived with a sense of hope for a prosperous future in their new country.” 

Robert Allegrini, National Italian American Foundation president and CEO, told CNA on Wednesday that it was a “tremendous honor” for the organization to meet with the Church’s first U.S.-born pope.

“The warmth of His Holiness’ Italian heritage was manifested in the gracious and pious reception he accorded to each and every member of our delegation,” he shared. “The pope was very happy to hear that the president of the National Italian American Foundation was a fellow Chicagoan.” 

“What is particularly meaningful for us as Italian Americans is that we feel that we combine the best elements of both the Italian and American cultures, traditions, and values,” he said. “This makes us truly special and truly in sympathy with the pope who shares those traits with us.” 

Toward the end of the meeting, Pope Leo encouraged the delegation to also be pilgrims in the Eternal City this week, in addition to their separate Wednesday meetings with him and Italian President Sergio Matarella.

“Your visit to the Vatican occurs during the jubilee year, which is focused on hope, which ‘dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring,’” the Holy Father said, quoting Spes Non Confundit.

“In an age beset by many challenges, may your time here, in a city marked by the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul as well as many saints who strengthened the Church throughout difficult periods of history, may this renew your sense of hope and trust in the future,” he said, before imparting his apostolic blessing upon the delegation, their families, and loved ones.

According to the 2022 American Community Survey, released by the United States Census Bureau, 16 million people, accounting for 4.8% of the total U.S. population, reported having Italian ancestry.

Pope Leo XIV gives a blessing to memebers of the National Italian American Foundation in their meeting on June 4, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jun 4, 2025 / 11:34 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV met with the National Italian American Foundation on Wednesday and blessed their work in continuing the spiritual and cultural legacy of their ancestors.

Before holding his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father met with board members of the leading Italian American foundation and thanked them for their various initiatives in the U.S. and Italy.

“Your work to continue to educate young people regarding Italian culture and history as well as providing scholarships and other charitable assistance in both countries helps to maintain a mutually beneficial and concrete connection between the two nations,” Pope Leo said at the morning meeting.

The foundation, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary, provides $1.5 million each year in educational scholarships and heritage travel opportunities to young students.

During the brief meeting, the Holy Father said the Catholic faith is a “hallmark” of the legacy built by many people who immigrated to the U.S. from Italy.

“A hallmark of many who immigrated to the United States from Italy was their Catholic faith, with its rich traditions of popular piety and devotions that they continued to practice in their new nation,” he said. “This faith sustained them in difficult moments, even as they arrived with a sense of hope for a prosperous future in their new country.” 

Robert Allegrini, National Italian American Foundation president and CEO, told CNA on Wednesday that it was a “tremendous honor” for the organization to meet with the Church’s first U.S.-born pope.

“The warmth of His Holiness’ Italian heritage was manifested in the gracious and pious reception he accorded to each and every member of our delegation,” he shared. “The pope was very happy to hear that the president of the National Italian American Foundation was a fellow Chicagoan.” 

“What is particularly meaningful for us as Italian Americans is that we feel that we combine the best elements of both the Italian and American cultures, traditions, and values,” he said. “This makes us truly special and truly in sympathy with the pope who shares those traits with us.” 

Toward the end of the meeting, Pope Leo encouraged the delegation to also be pilgrims in the Eternal City this week, in addition to their separate Wednesday meetings with him and Italian President Sergio Matarella.

“Your visit to the Vatican occurs during the jubilee year, which is focused on hope, which ‘dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring,’” the Holy Father said, quoting Spes Non Confundit.

“In an age beset by many challenges, may your time here, in a city marked by the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul as well as many saints who strengthened the Church throughout difficult periods of history, may this renew your sense of hope and trust in the future,” he said, before imparting his apostolic blessing upon the delegation, their families, and loved ones.

According to the 2022 American Community Survey, released by the United States Census Bureau, 16 million people, accounting for 4.8% of the total U.S. population, reported having Italian ancestry.

Sister Angela Musolesi served as an assistant to renowned exorcist priest Gabriel Amorth for 28 years. / Credit: Nicolás de Cárdenas/ACI Prensa

Madrid, Spain, Jun 4, 2025 / 10:47 am (CNA).

Sister Angela Musolesi was born in the small Italian town of Budrio on Dec. 8, 1954, the centennial year of the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

A Franciscan nun, Sister Angela collaborated for 28 years with the renowned Italian priest and exorcist Father Gabriel Amorth. To expand the legacy of Amorth, who died on Sept. 16, 2016, in Rome at the age of 91, she founded the Children of Light association.

San Pablo Publishing has just published Sister Angela’s Spanish-langauge book “You Are My Ruin,” a volume that explains the causes of demonic possession and offers effective tools for confronting the actions of the devil.

Sister Angela does this with particular reference to the family, a field in which Our Lady of Fátima prophesied that the devil’s final battle against God and humanity will be fought.

Just a short distance from the statue of the fallen angel in Madrid’s Retiro Park, Sister Angela spoke with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, about her latest work.

ACI Prensa: When the devil tells you “You are my ruin,” is it a desperate voice from the devil or a temptation to boost your ego?

Sister Angela: No, it’s a fear the devil has of me … he fears me, just as he feared Father Gabriele Amorth.

How is it that the devil is afraid of a human being?

Because we have Jesus within us, we have the resurrection of Jesus within us. [The devil] knows this well, and sometimes he has told us: “We know that you have already defeated us.” We speak in the name of Jesus, so we have already defeated all the demons, although perhaps we are a little afraid at times. I am not.

But you and Father Amorth are the Navy Seals (the elite force of the United States Navy) in the confrontation with the devil. How do we, as ordinary Catholics, make the devil fear us?

With the action of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit bothers the devil a lot. It is the spirit of the risen Jesus. Sometimes, when I have prayed over someone, invoking the Holy Spirit, the devil has cried out: “You are hurting me, you are hurting me.” Only with the Holy Spirit. The more we have the Holy Spirit within us, the more we have the courage of Jesus. As St. Paul says in the Second Letter to Timothy: “God has not given us a spirit of fear but of courage, of strength, of wisdom, of light.”

Your book aims to better understand the enemy. Why is this goal important?

To understand his actions, how he works in the world and within us, in our minds. Because he primarily tries to attack the intellectual faculties and, through that, the heart. From the mind, from the head, through the brain, he confuses us.

The most widespread action in the world is that of Lucifer, who is the spirit of mental confusion, of the darkening of intelligence, of the inability to make decisions, and then also of madness, suicide, and death. This is what happens to young people who no longer have Jesus as a point of reference.

You began your apostolate in prisons. Does the devil move well behind bars?

He moves well in society. Certainly, prisoners, convicts, are the ones who suffer the most. But I can tell you that when I was in prison for 10 years, I would go and bring them Jesus. I would invoke the Holy Spirit, offer prayers of deliverance and healing, and the next time the prisoners would ask me: Sister, are you still saying that prayer?

You also have a great heart for ecumenism.

Absolutely, yes.

Are the different Christian groups more similar in how we conceive of the devil than in other doctrinal matters? Is this a point of unity that favors communion?

Yes, absolutely. Also because, for example, our evangelical brothers and Protestants in general have a great devotion to the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit, as we have said, is what bothers the devil the most, because it is the spirit of Jesus. This is a common point. Even the final part of the Lord’s Prayer — “deliver us from evil.” When the devil manifests himself, and that is repeated several times, it makes him scream.

The most difficult thing is to get the devil to manifest himself, to make himself visible through a person who has a demonic action. But the most widespread action in the world is the ordinary action of the devil: mental confusion. It makes people believe he doesn’t exist, it makes them believe he doesn’t create problems.

The teaching that Father Gabriele Amorth has already spread is important because it says: Look, the devil is at work in the world. We must speak more about him, and everyone must apply Jesus’ words: “Whoever believes in me must — not can, must — command the devil, heal the sick, and raise the dead.”

So any of us, a layperson, a nun, or a normal priest, must command the devil and not be afraid. This teaching is sometimes disputed in the Catholic Church because there are priests who say no, that a normal priest, a normal nun, or a layperson cannot do that.

But Jesus was clear. Jesus said: “Whoever believes in me must not be afraid of the devil,” and he must do these things. This is the novelty of Father Gabriel Amorth’s teaching, which we are continuing. I say we because I founded the Children of Light during his lifetime, and we are continuing his teachings.

Tell us something special about the book that invites people to pick it up. What’s new about this book?

More than an explanation of the devil, it’s about how to free oneself from the devil, how to free marriages. It explains very well how to recognize the action of the devil in marriages that are about to break up. It explains what a person, a layperson, a wife can do for her husband if he has difficulties with fidelity, or what a mother can do for her children. This is very important; the book is important for this reason. It is the practical application of how to free oneself from the action of the devil.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Sister Angela Musolesi served as an assistant to renowned exorcist priest Gabriel Amorth for 28 years. / Credit: Nicolás de Cárdenas/ACI Prensa

Madrid, Spain, Jun 4, 2025 / 10:47 am (CNA).

A Franciscan nun, Sister Angela Musolesi collaborated for 28 years with the renowned Italian priest and exorcist Father Gabriel Amorth.

Pope Leo XIV blesses a small attendee at the general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, June 4. 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jun 4, 2025 / 10:09 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV held the third general audience of his pontificate on Wednesday, telling the faithful that even when we feel useless and inadequate, “the Lord reminds us that our life is worthy.”

“Even when it seems we are able to do little in life, it is always worthwhile. There is always the possibility to find meaning, because God loves our life,” Leo said in a sunny St. Peter’s Square on June 4, four days before the one-month mark of his pontificate.

In his catechesis, the pope reflected on the parable of the vineyard workers, which is recounted in the Gospel of Matthew 20:1-16. Leo affirmed that, like the owner of the vineyard, Jesus “does not establish rankings, he gives all of himself to those who open their hearts to him.”

This parable “is a story that fosters our hope,” the pontiff said. “Indeed, at times we have the impression that we cannot find meaning for our lives: We feel useless, inadequate, just like the laborers who wait in the marketplace, waiting for someone to hire them to work.”

Just like the laborers waiting in the market for work, the pope argued, sometimes we are waiting a long time to be acknowledged or appreciated, and we may end up “selling ourselves to the first bidder” in the marketplace, where affection and dignity are bought and sold in an attempt to make a profit.

“God never gives up on us; he is always ready to accept us and give meaning and hope to our lives, however hopeless our situation may seem and however insignificant our merits may appear,” the pope said in his English-language summary of the lesson, which he read himself.

The tireless landowner in the parable goes out over and over again to seek laborers for his fields, even late into the day, when the remaining workers had probably given up all hope, Leo said. “That day had come to nothing. Nevertheless, someone still believed in them.” 

The behavior of the owner of the vineyard is also unusual in other ways, he noted, including that he “comes out in person in search of his laborers. Evidently, he wants to establish a personal relationship with them.”

Then, “for the owner of the vineyard, that is, for God, it is just that each person has what he needs to live. He called the laborers personally, he knows their dignity, and on the basis of this, he wants to pay them, and he gives all of them one denarius,” even those who only worked the last hour of the day, Pope Leo emphasized.

According to the pontiff, the laborers who had spent all day working were disappointed, because “they cannot see the beauty of the gesture of the landowner, who was not unjust but simply generous; who looked not only at merit but also at need.”

Leo warned Christians against the temptation to think they can delay their work in the vineyard because their pay will be the same either way.

He quoted St. Augustine, who said in his Sermon 87: “Why dost thou put off him that calleth thee, certain as thou art of the reward, but uncertain of the day? Take heed then lest peradventure what he is to give thee by promise, thou take from thyself by delay.”

“Do not wait, but respond enthusiastically to the Lord who calls us to work in his vineyard,” the pontiff said, appealing especially to young people. “Do not delay, roll up your sleeves, because the Lord is generous and you will not be disappointed! Working in his vineyard, you will find an answer to that profound question you carry within you: What is the meaning of my life?”

“Let us not be discouraged,” Leo added. “Even in the dark moments of life, when time passes without giving us the answers we seek, let us ask the Lord who will come out again and find us where we are waiting for him. He is generous, and he will come soon!”

Hannah Brockhaus contributed to this report.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Pope Leo XIV blesses a small attendee at the general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, June 4. 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jun 4, 2025 / 10:09 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV held the third general audience of his pontificate on Wednesday, telling the faithful that even when we feel useless and inadequate, “the Lord reminds us that our life is worthy.”

“Even when it seems we are able to do little in life, it is always worthwhile. There is always the possibility to find meaning, because God loves our life,” Leo said in a sunny St. Peter’s Square on June 4, four days before the one-month mark of his pontificate.

In his catechesis, the pope reflected on the parable of the vineyard workers, which is recounted in the Gospel of Matthew 20:1-16. Leo affirmed that, like the owner of the vineyard, Jesus “does not establish rankings, he gives all of himself to those who open their hearts to him.”

This parable “is a story that fosters our hope,” the pontiff said. “Indeed, at times we have the impression that we cannot find meaning for our lives: We feel useless, inadequate, just like the laborers who wait in the marketplace, waiting for someone to hire them to work.”

Just like the laborers waiting in the market for work, the pope argued, sometimes we are waiting a long time to be acknowledged or appreciated, and we may end up “selling ourselves to the first bidder” in the marketplace, where affection and dignity are bought and sold in an attempt to make a profit.

“God never gives up on us; he is always ready to accept us and give meaning and hope to our lives, however hopeless our situation may seem and however insignificant our merits may appear,” the pope said in his English-language summary of the lesson, which he read himself.

The tireless landowner in the parable goes out over and over again to seek laborers for his fields, even late into the day, when the remaining workers had probably given up all hope, Leo said. “That day had come to nothing. Nevertheless, someone still believed in them.” 

The behavior of the owner of the vineyard is also unusual in other ways, he noted, including that he “comes out in person in search of his laborers. Evidently, he wants to establish a personal relationship with them.”

Then, “for the owner of the vineyard, that is, for God, it is just that each person has what he needs to live. He called the laborers personally, he knows their dignity, and on the basis of this, he wants to pay them, and he gives all of them one denarius,” even those who only worked the last hour of the day, Pope Leo emphasized.

According to the pontiff, the laborers who had spent all day working were disappointed, because “they cannot see the beauty of the gesture of the landowner, who was not unjust but simply generous; who looked not only at merit but also at need.”

Leo warned Christians against the temptation to think they can delay their work in the vineyard because their pay will be the same either way.

He quoted St. Augustine, who said in his Sermon 87: “Why dost thou put off him that calleth thee, certain as thou art of the reward, but uncertain of the day? Take heed then lest peradventure what he is to give thee by promise, thou take from thyself by delay.”

“Do not wait, but respond enthusiastically to the Lord who calls us to work in his vineyard,” the pontiff said, appealing especially to young people. “Do not delay, roll up your sleeves, because the Lord is generous and you will not be disappointed! Working in his vineyard, you will find an answer to that profound question you carry within you: What is the meaning of my life?”

“Let us not be discouraged,” Leo added. “Even in the dark moments of life, when time passes without giving us the answers we seek, let us ask the Lord who will come out again and find us where we are waiting for him. He is generous, and he will come soon!”

Hannah Brockhaus contributed to this report.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.