Frequent the sacraments and be active in charity, Pope tells Misericordie movement
February 16, 2026
Pope Leo XIV encouraged members of the Misericordie movement to be rooted in Catholic spirituality and sacramental practice and to be active in charity.
Addressing members of the Italian movement’s national confederation, Pope Leo recalled the history of the movement, established by St. Peter Martyr in 1244 in Florence. This history, the Pope said, “embodies three important dimensions of lay Christian life: spirituality, charity and attention to contemporary needs.”
“Since its inception, your association has drawn strength and inspiration primarily from the life of faith and the sacramental practice of its members,” Pope Leo said during the audience, which took place on February 14 in Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace. “The seed from which the great tree of which you are a part germinated is therefore sacramental in nature—it is based on Baptism—and therefore moral and ascetic.”
“This implies that, in order for the plant to continue to grow, you must first and foremost cultivate the Christian formation of your members with great commitment, through prayer, catechesis, fidelity to the Sacraments—especially Sunday Mass and Confession—and moral consistency in your choices and lifestyles, according to the values of the Gospel and the associative tradition witnessed by your Statutes,” he continued.
Turning to the theme of charity, Pope Leo said:
Your history bears witness to the fact that an authentic life of faith cannot be reduced to a disembodied spiritualism, but necessarily gives rise to sensitivity to the needs of others and to generous service, without reserve. I think of so many of your brothers and sisters who have paid dearly for their fidelity to the task assigned to them: to them we offer our heartfelt thanks and our prayers. Where there is need, the Misericordie are present, in extraordinary emergency situations, in war zones, as in the thousand hidden services of everyday solidarity.
The Pontiff then discussed “attention to contemporary needs, which also characterizes you.”
“Dear friends, I encourage you to continue your commitment as a community in which faith is lived intensely and charity is practiced,” he concluded. “Aim to grow in spirit and to serve with joy and simplicity, extraneous to any logic of power, devoted to the praise of God and the good of those whom the Lord places on your path. Always be messengers of hope, charity and peace.”
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