The Spirit of the Risen Christ is the Spirit of peace, mission, and truth, Pope preaches on Pentecost Sunday
May 25, 2026
Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on the morning of Pentecost Sunday (booklet, video) and emphasized that the Spirit of the Risen Christ is the Spirit of peace, mission, and truth.
Reflecting on the Gospel reading (John 20:19-23), in which the Risen Christ bestowed the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, Pope Leo recalled Christ’s greeting (“Peace be with you”) and preached that “through his Paschal Mystery, Christ restores peace between God and humanity, and the Holy Spirit pours this peace into our hearts and spreads it throughout the world.”
“This peace stems from forgiveness and leads us to forgiveness,” the Pope said, before commenting on Christ’s words, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
“We are consequently drawn into Jesus’ mission, the mission of the one who proceeds from God and returns to God through the power of the Spirit—who in turn proceeds from the Father and the Son, and is worshiped and glorified with them as one God,” Pope Leo preached. “The Holy Spirit is the living charity of Christ that fills us, spurs us on and sustains us in our mission.”
The Spirit of the Risen Christ, the Pope added, is also the Spirit of truth:
This mission begins by proclaiming the truth about God and man, for the Spirit of the risen One is the “Spirit of truth” (Jn 14:17), whom the Lord himself promised us, asking for the unity of his Church—a unity founded on the love of God, the source of our love.
The Spirit, who has spoken through the prophets, always promotes unity in truth, for he imbues in us understanding, harmony and coherency of life. As Saint Augustine teaches, “the Holy Spirit willed that this should be the sign of his presence” (Discourse 269, 1):
The gift of tongues that are understood within the one faith. The Paraclete protects us from everything that hinders this understanding, including partisanship, hypocrisy and fads that obscure the light of the Gospel. The truth that God gives us thus stands as a liberating word for all peoples, a message that transforms every culture from within.
“Dear friends, with fervent hearts, let us pray today that the Spirit of the risen One may save us from the evil of war, which is overcome not by a superpower, but by the omnipotence of love,” the Pontiff concluded. “Let us pray that he free humanity from misery, which is redeemed not by immeasurable wealth, but by an inexhaustible gift. Let us pray that he heal us from the scourge of sin through the salvation proclaimed to all peoples in the name of Jesus. This is the grace that instills courage in the Apostles; may he similarly instill it in us, today and always, through the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church.”
Pope Leo celebrated the Mass in Italian, accompanied by Latin Gregorian chants.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
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!
