Pope Leo: ‘Today a new missionary age opens up in the history of the Church’
October 06, 2025
» Continue to this story on Dicastery for Communication
CWN Editor's Note: During his Mass for participants in the Jubilee of the Missions, which coincided with the Jubilee of Migrants, Pope Leo XIV spoke of a “new missionary age” dawning in the Church.
“We are called to renew in ourselves the fire of our missionary vocation,” Pope Leo preached during yesterday’s Sunday Mass, celebrated in St. Peter’s Square. “Brothers and sisters, today a new missionary age opens up in the history of the Church.”
“If for a long time we have associated with mission the word ‘depart,’ the going out to distant lands that did not know the Gospel or were experiencing poverty, today the frontiers of the missions are no longer geographical, because poverty, suffering and the desire for a greater hope have made their way to us,” the Pope continued. “The story of so many of our migrant brothers and sisters bears witnesses to this.”
Calling on “all of us to let ourselves be permanently in a state of mission,” Pope Leo called for “a renewed missionary cooperation” among dioceses of the West and the global South, as well as missionary vocations. He explained:
I refer in particular to the Church in Europe: today there is a need for a new missionary effort by laity, religious and priests who will offer their service in missionary lands.The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!