The Holy Spirit opens doors, Pope tells pilgrims on Pentecost
May 25, 2026
In his midday Regina Caeli address on Pentecost Sunday, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that that the Holy Spirit opens doors (video).
“The Gospel, in fact, tells us that ‘the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews’ (Jn 20:19),” Pope Leo told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “At the same time, the book of the Acts of the Apostles tells us that the Spirit came like a mighty wind (cf. Acts 2:2), which opened those doors, impelling the disciples to go out and proclaim the Good News of the risen Christ.”
The Pope asked, “What doors does the Holy Spirit open today?” and answered, “The first door is that of God himself, for the Spirit gives us access to the mystery of God, as revealed in Jesus Christ.”
“Through the gift of his Spirit, God grants us true faith, helps us understand the meaning of Scripture, reveals himself as our neighbor and allows us to share in his very life,” the Pope explained. “The Holy Spirit helps us to have a personal experience of God, to encounter him in Jesus and not merely in the observance of a law, to recognize him within us, and to discover the signs of his presence in daily life.”
Pope Leo said that “the second door is that of the Upper Room, that is, of the Church. Without the fire of the Spirit, the Church remains a prisoner of fear, timid in the face of the world’s challenges, closed in on itself, and thus also incapable of entering into dialogue with changing times.”
“The Spirit opens the doors of the Church so that it can be welcoming and hospitable to all, even to those who have closed their doors on God and neighbor, on hope and the joy of living,” he added.
“Finally, the Holy Spirit opens the door of our heart, helping us to overcome resistance, selfishness, mistrust and prejudice, while enabling us to live as children of God and brothers and sisters to one another,” the Pope continued. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, fraternity is born among individuals, groups and peoples of the Earth, and all speak the same language of love, which unites and brings harmony despite our differences.”
Pope Leo concluded:
Brothers and sisters, even in our own day, especially on this day of Pentecost, we must invoke the Holy Spirit and ask him to open all the doors that are still closed. We need to rediscover God as the Father who loves us, so that we can form a Church where everyone feels at home, and build a fraternal world where peace reigns among all peoples. Like the first disciples, we entrust ourselves to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Dwelling of the Holy Spirit and Mother of the Church.
Pope Leo then recited, in Latin, the Regina Caeli, the Minor Doxology (three times), and the prayer for the faithful departed, before imparting his blessing.
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