Thousands took to the streets in Cork, Ireland, on Sunday June 22, 2025, to participate in the city’s 99th consecutive annual Eucharistic procession in Ireland’s second-largest city. / Credit: Brian Lougheed

Dublin, Ireland, Jun 23, 2025 / 16:12 pm (CNA).

The procession was led by the Butter Exchange Band and Bishop Fintan Gavin, bishop of Cork and Ross, beginning from the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne.

null / Credit: muratart/Shutterstock

Vatican City, Jun 23, 2025 / 15:15 pm (CNA).

The Vatican has endorsed a report calling for reforms to alleviate the global debt crisis affecting billions of people in developing countries.

The document, titled “The Jubilee Report: A Blueprint for Tackling the Debt and Development Crises and Creating the Financial Foundations for a Sustainable People-Centered Global Economy,” was presented at the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences on June 20 as one of the main initiatives of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.

Supported by Pope Leo XIV, the publication is the work of the Jubilee Commission created by Pope Francis in June 2024 in order to find a way to carry out sovereign debt restructuring based on ethical principles. Thirty international economic experts were on the commission, including Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz and former Argentine Economy Minister Martín Guzmán.

$97 trillion in global public debt

According to data maintained by the U.N., global public debt reached $97 trillion in 2023, an increase of $5.6 trillion compared with 2022.

The document reports that more than 50 developing countries already allocate more than 10% of their tax revenues to interest payments, a dynamic that diverts financial resources from vital sectors such as health, education, and climate resilience (the capacity to respond to climate change or extreme weather events.)

“The debt crisis that is suffocating the global financial system is also fueling a development crisis,” the report states.

It proposes a series of measures and recommendations to transform the international financial system into an instrument of justice and sustainability. These include the creation of an international bankruptcy mechanism for sovereign countries similar to those that exist for private companies; an end to government bailouts for private investors; and the provision of bridge loans and short-term financial support for countries in crisis.

Foreign debt forgiveness, St. John Paul II’s legacy

The initiative is part of the spirit of the jubilee year, traditionally associated with mercy and debt forgiveness. In fact, in the 2024 papal bull Spes Non Confundit, Pope Francis expressly asked governments to show clemency by extraordinary measures, such as forgiving the external (foreign) debt of poor countries.

The June 20 report recaptures the spirit of the Jubilee of the Year 2000, when in 1997, St. John Paul II initiated a truly global movement based on the Church’s social teaching that called for debt relief for the poorest countries. That call gave rise to the “Jubilee 2000” campaign, which collected millions of signatures around the world and mobilized religious communities of all traditions. Thanks to this movement, more than $100 billion in debt was canceled.

“Global finance must serve people and the planet — not punish the poorest to protect profits,” the report concludes.

Presentation at the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences

The report was presented June 20 at the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences during a day dedicated to discussions about how reforms to international financial systems could move toward a truly people-centered system.

Nobel Prize-winning economist Stiglitz, professor at Columbia University and honorary fellow of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, issued a forceful call to “curb the abuses of large private creditors.”

“Normally, we talk about shared responsibility between creditors and debtors, but I would say there is greater responsibility on the part of creditors. These are voluntary transactions. No one has forced creditors to lend money, and they are supposed to be the experts in risk analysis,” he stated in his remarks.

Reducing interest rates with multilateral development banks

The economist was particularly critical of BlackRock and other large funds, which, he said, encourage a type of high-risk lending that ends in crises.

He therefore advocated strengthening the role of multilateral development banks, which can provide loans at lower rates, something that “would help reduce interest rates and make debt sustainable.”

Within the framework of the international meeting on debt, social justice, and development held at the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences headquarters, Caritas International representative Alfonso Apicella urged that the technical debate on debt never lose sight of the people most affected.

“We’re here to talk about sustainable growth, but the real question is: sustainable growth for whom? That’s the question we’re asked time and again by communities when we launch campaigns like ‘Turn Debt Into Hope,’” he explained.

Speaking on behalf of the global network of 162 organizations that make up Caritas, Apicella emphasized that the discourse on “sustainability” runs the risk of becoming an empty slogan if its inclusive focus isn’t made explicit: “We have to talk about sustainable growth for all, not just a few. And we must always remember this, especially when we speak from a technical perspective, because behind every figure there are people who experience these realities firsthand.”

A change in the narrative on debt

Apicella also focused on the need to change the narrative on debt: “We must frame this fight for debt justice as a win-win situation. If we work for the poor, policymakers must understand that they will also benefit.”

Professor Kevin Gallagher, director of the Global Development Policy Center at Boston University, pointed to international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund that have forced poor countries to “prematurely open their capital accounts.”

However, he also acknowledged the internal responsibility of many developing countries that, as the report notes, “have borrowed too much and invested too little.”

In any case, he made it clear that while “debt relief is essential,” it is also necessary to propose viable implementation measures within the current international environment that transform the financial system.

“We have already learned from the last jubilee debt forgiveness in 2009 that debt relief without reforms to the international financial architecture will only lead us to repeat this whole process. It’s a shame that we are in this situation again. Let us not repeat the same mistakes,” Gallagher said.

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

Director Dallas Jenkins (left) and Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in the wildly successful TV series “The Chosen,” speak with journalists during a press conference on June 23, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, Jun 23, 2025 / 13:41 pm (CNA).

“The Chosen” actor Jonathan Roumie said Monday coming to the Vatican is a “humbling honor” and a confirmation for him of the TV show’s continued mission of bringing Jesus Christ to the world.

Roumie, other “The Chosen” castmates, and series creator and director Dallas Jenkins are at the Vatican this week after having just wrapped up three weeks of filming in southern Italy for the Crucifixion scenes of Season 6, out next year.

“The fact we’re here now, sitting at the Vatican… is a testament to, I think, how God wants to continue to further this mission to bring more people to Jesus and to bring Jesus to them,” Roumie, who plays Jesus in the wildly successful TV series on the Gospels, said during a press conference at the Vatican on June 23.

Season 5, Episode 4, “The Same Coin,” will be streamed at the Vatican’s Filmoteca theater on the afternoon of June 23 in anticipation of the entire season being available for streaming in Italy in July.

Roumie will also present Pope Leo XIV with a gift from “The Chosen” during the Wednesday general audience on June 25, a meeting he said would be “extraordinary for so many reasons.”

“When [Pope Leo XIV] was elected, I wept, because I never thought I’d see an American pope in my lifetime,” the Catholic actor said. To get “to communicate to him in our native language this week is just something I never thought I would see in my life.”

Series director Jenkins, an evangelical Protestant, said it was “a tremendous honor” to be at the Vatican. He added that being surrounded by the beautiful art of Rome and the Vatican reminded him how much he wants the show to make the events and people depicted in religious artwork feel real to viewers.

“Jesus is more than a painting, and the church is more than just a building,” he said. “Jesus and the apostles were not just stained-glass windows, but Jesus became man … and these men and women actually lived and actually had a relationship with Jesus … something we can have today.”

Roumie and Jenkins were joined at the Vatican press conference by Elizabeth Tabish (Mary Magdalene), George Xanthis (John the Apostle), and Vanessa Benavente (Mother Mary).

They all talked about the emotional impact of getting to portray their characters, in their humanity and their growth, across five seasons so far.

Roumie said that “in the process of making this show, we didn’t know we would ever go beyond four episodes of the first season.”

“And then to fast forward seven years, and thousands of stories later about how this show has been used by God to change people’s lives — and in some unique, distinct cases, to save people’s lives — humbling doesn’t even come close to describing the understanding of that, the feeling of that: It’s profound,” he added.

The cast and crew on June 22 finished filming Jesus’ crucifixion in Matera in the Italian region of Basilicata, the same location used for Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.”

Jenkins called the three weeks “the most challenging and difficult we had in filming,” requiring him to surrender everything to Christ.

Roumie noted that since starting the show, many people have asked him if he was looking forward to getting to the Crucifixion scenes, but he would answer, “I can’t think about that, I can’t think about the cross, because we’re not there yet.”

He preferred to stay in the present, concentrating on Jesus’ active, public ministry, and the intimacy between Jesus and his followers. “And if there was anyone in the whole history of the world who was present at all times, it was Jesus Christ,” the actor said.

Talking about Season 5, which is focused on the events of Holy Week, is a welcome break from the intensity of the past three weeks of filming, Jenkins told journalists.

The show’s latest season features some of the most well-known scenes in Scripture, he said, including Judas’ betrayal, when Jesus flips tables in the Temple, the triumphal entrance into Jerusalem, and, most importantly, the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist.

The director said he hopes the season will provide an “opportunity for many new viewers to come to the show because they recognize these famous moments.”

SENT founder John Cannon speaks at the September 2024 SENT Summit. / Credit: Carollynn Anne/Courtesy of SENT

National Catholic Register, Jun 23, 2025 / 13:06 pm (CNA).

Have an innovative idea for a Catholic-minded startup or ministry?

The SENT Summit may be just what you need to pitch your plan.

The summit is part of SENT Ventures’ broader vision to foster Catholic entrepreneurship in the secular world — fostering faith-driven entrepreneurship and innovation.

SENT Ventures’ fourth annual SENT Summit, to be held Sept. 8–11, expects to draw nearly 400 founders, investors, philanthropists, and nonprofit directors to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Now the largest U.S. gathering dedicated to “Spirit-led” Catholic enterprise, the summit pairs conventional business programming — keynotes, small-group breakouts, and sector-specific workshops — with daily Mass, adoration, and evening socials.

The format, organizers say, is meant to keep questions of capital and mission in the same conversation, showing how Catholic social teaching can guide decisions from product design to personnel policy.

A highlight for early-stage founders will be the summit’s third annual SENT “Pitch Competition.” Five finalists, selected on criteria including Catholic values alignment, market timing, and current traction, will present to a panel of venture capitalists and angel investors for the chance to receive a $10,000 grant and more than $50,000 in prizes, including business services. A previous winner, Presidio Healthcare, a pro-life insurance startup and the first of its kind, went on to raise $4 million in seed funding after its SENT appearance.

The deadline this year to apply for the Pitch Competition is July 25. 

Running alongside the startup track, the “Mission Showcase” offers emerging apostolates a similar platform. Up to five ministries will receive a $1,500 cash grant and paid ticket as well as stage time before major Catholic philanthropists. Past presenters range from MetaSaint — a Roblox-based catechetical game that has logged 300,000 users, with Roblox itself having 70 million daily users — to Forge, an Iowa-based men’s formation network that has since expanded across the Midwest and is endorsed by such Catholic figures as theologian Scott Hahn, Super Bowl champion Matt Birk, and New York Times bestselling author Leonard Sax.

The deadline to apply for the Mission Showcase is July 18.

Even those not selected to present should benefit, however, from the world-class coaching and application process, which helps sharpen mission and model.

Attendance has nearly doubled every year since SENT held its inaugural summit in 2022, forcing the first-ever registration cap this year. SENT founder John Cannon told the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, this is because SENT “tries to run world-class events with deep Catholic spirituality — this includes starting every day with Mass and adoration, access to confession, inviting the top entrepreneurial leaders as speakers and presenters, and a strong culture of trying to lift others up.” 

As a former Carmelite monk for seven years before he was called back into the world of business, Cannon holds the firm conviction that business can — in fact, should — be both professionally excellent and integrally Catholic.

The summit is part of a wider SENT Ventures ecosystem that offers year-round masterminds to provide advisement, regional meetups, and mentorship circles aimed at Catholic professionals in startup culture. Cannon’s 2024 white paper “Entrepreneurs of the Spirit” illustrates that lay-led innovation has historically driven periods of great Church renewal — and today should be no different.

SENT’s organizers are showing year over year that their unique showcase of business strategizing and the silence of prayer resonates with Catholic leaders who view entrepreneurship as a vocation as well as a career. There is a great need in the Church to tell more stories of Catholics building businesses and apostolates outside traditional Church institutions.

“It’s not just another conference — it’s a thriving community,” Cannon said. “People often come to get some particular business value or make connections, which happens, but what stays with them is the friendship, the formation, and the sense that they’re not building alone.”

How you can apply

Send a query today.

How you can support sent

SENT Ventures is also actively seeking sponsors to scale these efforts.  

There are three main sponsorship opportunities:

— General summit sponsorship for brand visibility across the entire event

— Pitch Competition sponsorship to support high-growth Catholic startups

— Mission Showcase sponsorship to assist apostolates tackling pastoral and cultural challenges 

Interested parties are encouraged to reach out to Mary at Mary@sentventures.com.

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

In Knock, Ireland, on Sunday June 22, 2025, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh urged the people of Ireland to “feel inspired and courageous” by the renewed consecration to the Sacred Heart. / Credit: Sean Flynn/Irish Catholic Bishops Conference

Dublin, Ireland, Jun 23, 2025 / 12:36 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh urged the people of Ireland to “feel inspired and courageous” by the renewed consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Readings (Year C): Acts 12:1 – 11Psalm 34:2 – 3, 4 – 5, 6 – 7, 8 – 92 Timothy 4:6 – 8, 17 – 18Matthew 16:13 – 19 Reflection: The Lord stood by me and gave me strength Challenges come to us in myriads of ways and often leave us incapacitated, with little possibility […]

The post A reflection for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles appeared first on U.S. Catholic.

When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, I was working as an economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). I watched the screen as a cardinal came onto the balcony to announce that Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a Jesuit, had been elected pope and had taken the name Francis. A tingle went down my spine. I […]

The post Pope Francis brought a fierce urgency to economic justice appeared first on U.S. Catholic.

Auxiliary Bishop Luis Manuel Alí Herrera is secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. / Credit: “EWTN Noticias”/Screenshot

ACI Prensa Staff, Jun 23, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Auxiliary Bishop Luis Manuel Alí Herrera, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCTM, by its Italian acronym), contends that instead of a single reparative action, victims of abuse within the Church require “an in-depth process that listens to, welcomes, and accompanies.”

Alí Herrera explained that the harm done to such victims is “disastrous” as it harms “the very image of God, the [victim’s] relationship with the Church, interpersonal relationships, and one’s very identity. A victim sees their life plans and their ability to bounce back damaged,” Alí explained in an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News.

The auxiliary bishop of Bogotá — who, along with the other members of his team, met with Pope Leo XIV two weeks ago — stated that the voice of survivors is at the center of the Church’s work and that the presence of victims within the commission itself is key to moving toward a true culture of prevention.

“We have victims on the pontifical commission; they are part of it as members. Their voice is essential to knowing how to speak to all victims and survivors, and also to guiding our responses in prevention processes,” he noted.

Since its creation in 2014, the PCTM, led by Cardinal Seán O’Malley, has been one of the Church’s most practical instruments for combating sexual abuse and promoting a culture of prevention.

The prelate shared that his pastoral perspective on this issue changed completely after hearing the testimony of a person who had suffered abuse.

“I had read, studied, and analyzed it. But it’s another thing entirely to be faced with the real pain, the tears, the despair of someone who has been deeply wounded. That transformed me,” he related.

For the commission’s secretary, a key part of the work of prevention begins with adequate psycho-affective formation of a candidate for the priesthood beginning at the very outset of seminary.

“Affective, communal, and sexual formation must be present from the preparatory phase to the end of theological formation. It must be across the board, continuous, and closely connected to the emotional world and interpersonal relationships,” he noted.

Regarding the impact of the abuse crisis on priestly vocations, Alí acknowledged that it has had painful but also positive effects.

“It has had an impact, because many pull back [from considering a priestly vocation] when they see news of cases. But it has also helped, because it has forced us to rethink vocation ministry and recognize that the priest is, above all, a human person, with wounds, crises, and emotions that he must learn to integrate,” the bishop explained.

Impact of Rupnik 

Regarding decisions such as that taken by the shrine at Lourdes, which this past March covered up the murals of the artist and former Jesuit Father Marko Rupnik, who is accused of serial sexual abuse, Alí believes it is necessary to act with discernment and empathy.

“Art can heal, but it can also retraumatize. It’s not about condemning beforehand but rather putting oneself in the shoes of the victims and not triggering their pain with gestures that may be insensitive,” Alí indicated.

With a clear appeal to the entire Church, Alí concluded: True reparation only begins when those who have suffered are truly listened to. “That listening, that closeness, is the first step toward restoring what has been broken: the image of God in each victim.”

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

Smoke from incense drifts in the air at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, California, where the 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage concluded on June 22, 2025. / Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/EWTN

Los Angeles, Calif., Jun 22, 2025 / 23:23 pm (CNA).

The 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage completed its 3,300-mile journey across the western United States on Sunday, having traversed 10 states, stopping in 20 dioceses and encountering thousands of enthusiastic parishioners.

The trek started May 18 in Indianapolis, the site of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in 2024, and concluded 35 days later at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. The pilgrimage was an outgrowth of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) three-year Eucharistic revival designed to promote belief in and devotion to the Eucharist among Catholics.

“We’ve had a wonderful reception, and the pilgrimage has borne much good fruit,” remarked Jason Shanks, president of the National Eucharistic Congress (NEC). “The pilgrims who have turned out have been in good spirits.”

The culminating event at the cathedral included Mass celebrated by U.S. apostolic nuncio Cardinal Christophe Pierre, a homily by Los Angeles Archbishop José Gómez, and a procession through the cathedral plaza.

Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, who led the USCCB’s Eucharistic revival program, and the auxiliary bishops of Los Angeles participated. The cathedral, which seats 3,000, was full, and the procession ended with Gómez blessing the city of Los Angeles in four directions, Shanks said, “which I hope will bring hope and healing to the city,” the scene of recent civil unrest.

The pilgrimage visited multiple sites of prominence in the archdiocese, including Corpus Christi Parish in Pacific Palisades and Sacred Heart Parish in Altadena, both of which are in the zones of wildfire destruction in Los Angeles’ Jan. 7 Palisades and Eaton fires (Corpus Christi was destroyed; Sacred Heart survived). The pilgrimage also stopped at the first and the last missions established in the Los Angeles area by St. Junipero Serra, Mission San Gabriel (founded in 1771), and Mission Basilica San Buenaventura (established in 1782).

Father Parker Sandoval, vice chancellor and senior director of ministerial services for the Los Angeles Archdiocese, was the main point of contact for the archdiocese and coordinated Los Angeles events with the NEC. He noted that each site at which the pilgrimage stopped was significant, such as of historical importance because they were 18th-century missions or because they were in the wildfire disaster zones.

“The archdiocese has been pleased to participate in the pilgrimage, and our hope and prayer is that the Eucharistic revival spreads far and wide,” he said.

Gómez, Pierre, Cozzens, and the auxiliary bishops participated in other events Friday through Sunday, including the events in the wildfire areas.

“We were there to pray for people and be part of the revival of life in those areas,” Cozzens said. “The people I spoke to told me that they were grateful of God’s presence in the midst of tragedy and for their faith, which has help sustain them in this time of trial.”

Pilgrims reflect on their journey

The pilgrimage traveled with eight young adults, known as perpetual pilgrims, traveling in a van with a trailer. Each diocese in which they made their stops acted as host, offering housing and food. The pilgrims found themselves spending the night in parishioners’ homes, retreat centers, religious houses, and hotels.

Ace Acuna, a perpetual pilgrim active in campus ministry with The Aquinas Institute on the campus of Princeton University in New Jersey, said he became passionate about the Eucharistic revival after attending the Indianapolis congress last year. 

“Everywhere we go people are excited to see us and give us a warm welcome,” he said. “They’re elated that Jesus is coming.”

Like Acuna, perpetual pilgrim Leslie Reyes-Hernandez was moved by her experience at the Indianapolis congress.  Her experience on the pilgrimage this year has been “transformative,” she said, adding that she believes Eucharistic adoration has the power to draw many young people like herself to the Lord.

“Young people are hungry for an encounter with God, and we’ve been blessed to meet many during this pilgrimage,” she said.

Activities at the diocesan stops included Mass, adoration, talks about the Eucharist, and processions. Many also took the opportunity to go to confession.

Pilgrims had to deal with protests

Attendance has been strong at many stops, Acuna related, including a Eucharistic procession to Holy Family Cathedral in Tulsa, which drew 1,800.

The spiritual journey was not without controversy; as many as 50 protestors from the Church of Wells protested the pilgrimage along the route, with their biggest turnout in Oklahoma City.

“They were using megaphones to tell us Catholics were wrong in their beliefs and confronting our participants individually about Catholic practices such as the rosary,” Shanks recounted. “They said they were looking to put the ‘protest’ back in Protestant.”

While additional security was added to protect perpetual pilgrims and surround the Blessed Sacrament, Shanks said he believes the group’s hostility did not adversely affect the pilgrimage.

“For us, this persecution was our Way of the Cross,” he said. “We were allowed to experience in a very small way the suffering of Christ.”

The pilgrims took side trips to sites of service or suffering along the route, such as a soup kitchen or to participate in prison ministry and to the site of the Oklahoma City bombing. Other stops included a visit to the tomb of Bishop Fulton Sheen and the Shrine of Blessed Stanley Rother.

Although the pilgrimage has ended, the work of the National Eucharistic Congress continues, Shanks said. He said he hopes to do more annual pilgrimages, as well as an 11th National Eucharistic Congress in 2029. The NEC is also working to train Eucharistic missionaries who can return to their parishes to share their enthusiasm for Christ in the Eucharist.

Cozzens said he believes the USCCB’s Eucharistic revival program has been “a beautiful evangelistic moment,” adding that he hopes “the essential work of Eucharistic revival will continue through the congress movement.”

The revival has exceeded his expectations for success, he said.

“I said we wanted to start a fire, not a program,” the bishop said. “And, today that fire of the Holy Spirit is burning brightly.”

Pope Leo XIV leads a Eucharistic procession in Rome on June 22, 2025, for the feast of Corpus Christi. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/EWTN

Rome, Italy, Jun 22, 2025 / 13:21 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called on the faithful to “share the bread” — a sign of the gift of divine salvation — to “multiply hope and to proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom” as he presided for the first time as pope over Mass for the solemnity of Corpus Christi.

On the feast when the Catholic Church especially celebrates the mystery of the Eucharist —namely, the real presence of Jesus Christ in the consecrated bread and wine — the pontiff declared: “Christ is God’s answer to our human hunger, because his body is the bread of eternal life: Take this and eat of it, all of you!”

The pope traveled from the Vatican to the Basilica of St. John Lateran, his cathedral as bishop of Rome, to celebrate the Mass on Sunday afternoon. The Mass was followed by a Eucharistic procession along the city’s streets.

In his homily, Leo XIV reflected on the meaning of the Eucharist and the value of sharing. The celebration took place outside the basilica.

Commenting on the day’s Gospel, which recounts the miracle of the loaves and fishes, the pope noted that by saving the crowds from hunger, “Jesus proclaims that he will save everyone from death.”

In doing so, he established the foundation of the “mystery of faith, which we celebrate in the sacrament of the Eucharist,” the Holy Father said, adding: “Just as hunger is a sign of our radical needs in this life, so breaking bread is a sign of God’s gift of salvation.”

Leo said that Jesus’ compassion for the suffering “shows us the loving closeness of God, who comes into our world to save us.”

He added: “Where God reigns, we are set free from all evil.”

In the face of human finitude, he said, “when we partake of Jesus, the living and true bread, we live for him.”

Referring again to the Gospel miracle, Leo said that the people’s hunger is a profound sign, because “at that hour of need and of gathering shadows, Jesus remains present in our midst.”

When the apostles suggest sending the crowd away, the pope pointed out, Jesus teaches a contrary logic, “because hunger is not foreign to the preaching of the kingdom and the message of salvation.”

The pope continued: “He feels compassion for those who are hungry, and he invites his disciples to provide for them.”

The disciples offered only five loaves and two fish — a seemingly reasonable calculation that in fact “reveal their lack of faith, he said. “For where the Lord is present, we find all that we need to give strength and meaning to our lives.”

Jesus’ gesture of breaking the bread, the pope explained, “is not some complicated magical rite; they simply show his gratitude to the Father, his filial prayer and the fraternal communion sustained by the Holy Spirit.”

“To multiply the loaves and fishes, Jesus shares what is available. As a result, there is enough for everyone. In fact, more than enough,” he said.

The pope denounced current global inequalities and criticized “the accumulation by a few” as a sign “of an arrogant indifference that produces pain and injustice.”

“Today, in place of the crowds mentioned in the Gospel, entire peoples are suffering more as a result of the greed of others than from their own hunger,” he stated.

In this light, he called on the faithful to follow the Lord’s example and to live out this teaching with concrete actions, especially during the Jubilee of Hope.

“Especially in this jubilee year, the Lord’s example is a yardstick that should guide our actions and our service: We are called to share our bread, to multiply hope and to proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom,” he said.

The Augustinian pope also quoted St. Augustine’s description of the Eucharist as “bread that restores and does not run short; bread that can be eaten but not exhausted,” observing that the Eucharist “in fact, is the true, real, and substantial presence of the Savior, who transforms bread into himself in order to transform us into himself.”

The pope referred to the existential root of communion with Christ, saying: “Our hungry nature bears the mark of a need that is satisfied by the grace of the Eucharist.”

Leo reminded the faithful that “Living and life-giving, the Corpus Domini makes us, the Church herself, the body of the Lord.” Quoting Lumen Gentium, the dogmatic constitution of the Second Vatican Council, he added: “All are called to this union with Christ, who is the light of the world, from whom we come, through whom we live, and toward whom we direct our lives.”

Before beginning the Eucharistic procession to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the pope explained its spiritual and missionary meaning.

“Together, as shepherds and flock, we will feed on the Blessed Sacrament, adore him, and carry him through the streets,” he said. “In doing so, we will present him before the eyes, the consciences, and the hearts of the people.”

Leo concluded with an invitation to all the faithful: “Strengthened by the food that God gives us, let us bring Jesus to the hearts of all, because Jesus involves everyone in his work of salvation by calling each of us to sit at his table. Blessed are those who are called, for they become witnesses of this love!”