Pope Leo, at Holy Thursday Chrism Mass, preaches on the Christian mission in ‘this dark hour of history’
April 02, 2026
Stating that “mission is not a heroic adventure reserved for a few, but the living witness of a Body with many members,” Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Holy Thursday Chrism Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica this morning (video) and reflected on the “mission to which God calls us as his people,” in a time the Pope described as “this dark hour of history.”
“It is the Christian mission, the very same as Jesus’, not another,” Pope Leo preached. “Each of us takes part in it according to our own vocation in a deeply personal obedience to the voice of the Spirit, yet never without others, never neglecting or breaking communion! Bishops and priests, as we renew our promises, we are at the service of a missionary people.”
The Pope reflected on three aspects of the Christian mission: detachment, encounter, and the possibility of misunderstanding and rejection.
“Jesus’ journey reveals to us that the willingness to lose oneself, to empty oneself, is not an end in itself, but a condition for encounter and intimacy,” Pope Leo said. “Love is true only when it is unguarded; it requires little fuss, no ostentation, and gently cherishes weakness and vulnerability. We struggle to commit ourselves to a mission that exposes us in this way, and yet there is no “good news to the poor” (cf. Lk 4:18) if we go to them bearing the signs of power, nor is there authentic liberation unless we free ourselves from attachment.”
The Pope continued:
It is now a priority to remember that neither in the pastoral sphere nor in the social and political spheres can good come from abuse of power. The great missionaries bear witnesses to quiet, unobtrusive approaches, whose method is the sharing of life, selfless service, the renunciation of any calculated strategy, dialogue and respect. It is the way of the Incarnation, which always takes the form of inculturation. Salvation, in fact, can only be received by each person through his or her native language.
“We must go where we are sent with simplicity, respecting the mystery that every person and every community carries within them,” the Pope added. “As Christians, we are guests ... Even the places where secularization seems most advanced are not lands to be conquered or reconquered.”
In discussing the possibility of misunderstanding and rejection, the Pope said that “the cross is part of the mission: the sending becomes more bitter and frightening, but also more freeing and transformative. The imperialist occupation of the world is thus disrupted from within; the violence that until now has been the law is unmasked. The poor, imprisoned, rejected Messiah descends into the darkness of death, yet in so doing he brings a new creation to light.”
“How many ‘resurrections’ are we called to experience when, free from a defensive attitude, we immerse ourselves in service like a seed in the earth,” Pope Leo continued. “In life, we may face situations where everything seems to be over. We then ask ourselves whether the mission has been in vain. While it is true that, unlike Jesus, we also experience failures that stem from our own shortcomings or those of others, often from a tangled web of responsibilities of light and shadow, we can make the hope of many witnesses our own.”
The Pontiff concluded:
Dearest sisters and brothers, the saints make history. This is the message of Revelation: “Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne” (Rev 1:4).
This greeting encapsulates Jesus’ journey in a world torn apart by the powers that ravage it. Within it arises a new people, not of victims, but of witnesses.
In this dark hour of history, it has pleased God to send us to spread the fragrance of Christ where the stench of death reigns. Let us renew our “yes” to this mission that calls for unity and brings peace. Yes, we are here! Let us overcome the sense of powerlessness and fear! We proclaim your death, O Lord, and we proclaim your resurrection, as we await your coming.
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