Christ is the greatest gift we can offer others, Pope tells Church in San Marino
August 24, 2026
Pope Leo XIV concluded his brief visit to the nation of San Marino by calling on the Church there to emphasize the centrality of Christ.
“We believe that the Gospel is the way of freedom for men and women of every age, and that in Jesus Christ and in his Word the joys, wounds and deepest questions of humanity find meaning and definitive answer,” Pope Leo said in his Italian-language address, delivered on August 22 in the Basilica of St. Marinus (video).
“Therefore, we are convinced that the greatest gift we can give to the brothers and sisters that the Lord puts on our path is to help them encounter him, the God made man, who died and rose for us, and in him find salvation,” the Pope continued. “In this light we exercise charity in all its forms, without sparing, but always keeping at heart and keeping in mind the ultimate and integral good of the people to whom we offer our support.”
Citing words spoken by Pope Benedict XVI during his 2011 visit there, Pope Leo also called upon young people to open their hearts to God and to embrace the vocation and mission to which God is calling them:
Embrace your mission in the world with enthusiasm! Do so, first of all, by seeking to understand what the call is for you, unique to each one, and to appreciate its greatness (cf. Eph 1:18). And then spend yourselves in it, investing unsparingly all the riches of the gifts that God has granted you. Do not be afraid to make demanding choices, such as marriage, consecration, ordained ministry, professional life, social and political commitment; prepare yourself as well as possible for the responsibilities that lie ahead.
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