Welcome catechumens with joy and respect, Pope says at Institut Catholique

September 26, 2026

Pope Leo XIV visited the Institut Catholique of Paris this morning and met with members of the Provincial Synodal Assembly, as well as with a group of catechumens and neophytes (video).

As he made his way to the auditorium there, he followed in the footsteps of the martyrs of September 1792.

“I am filled first and foremost with deep gratitude for God’s unfathomable work,” Pope Leo said. “Like you, and together with you, I am struck by the number of people returning to the threshold of the faith, and by the many adults seeking the sacraments of Christian initiation.”

“With pastoral tenderness and fraternal charity, we must recognize, welcome and protect the small flame that the Holy Spirit has kindled in the darkness of the night, the tiny seed that strives to grow even amid the thorns,” the Pope continued. “We must joyfully welcome those who come to us, build on their spiritual experience, respect their personal history, and foster the essential proclamation of the kerygma, even drawing upon the forms they are familiar with from their own personal or communal journey.”

Pope Leo added:

As we heard just a moment ago, some people come with a simple spiritual thirst, a search for meaning, and an attraction to the Gospel, while others arrive burdened by painful experiences, situations of loneliness, and profound difficulties. It is here that a style of closeness, compassion and tenderness takes on its full meaning, and we must strike a wise balance in order to welcome them and listen to them, while also encouraging them to face the challenging demands of the faith. It is a journey in which we must respect each person’s pace, proceeding gradually and carefully with fraternal accompaniment.

 

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Further information:

• Meeting with the Members of the Provincial Synodal Assembly, Catechumens and Newly Baptized (Dicastery for Communication - Vatican Media, 9/26/26)
• Meeting with members of the Provincial Synodal Assembly, Catechumens and Neophytes (Holy See Press Office, 9/26/26)
• Pope Leo calls on Church in France to nurture seeds of faith (Vatican News, 9/26/26)