SERENITY, A CALM ANCHOR IN A STORM
The Holy Father Pope Leo met today with clergy from the diocese of Rome and it was clear from the start that the mood of the much-anticipated meeting was very positive with Pope Leo clearly indicating that he, as a priest and former missionary, perfectly understands the joys, challenges and periods of loneliness of the priesthood, and he encouraged the clergy to share those feelings with brother priests. Leo XIV spoke from experience and with a fatherly concern that clearly touched – and also encouraged – the priests of Rome.
Pope Leo’s words Thursday mirrored in many ways his reflections from his first meeting with the clergy of Rome on June 12, 2025, a little over a month after his election to the papacy and, as such, becoming the Bishop of Rome. At the time, he told Rome’s priests, “I would like to help you, to walk with you, so that each one may regain serenity in his ministry.”
From his very election on May 8, 2025, I have felt that serenity is a key component of Pope Leo’s personality. He transmits serenity in his gestures, his smile, his speeches and homilies, even as he walks into a room or a crowd. Whoever is a recipient of a papal handshake or smile or a pat on the arm or simply listens to the Holy Father as he speaks, senses serenity and reassurance. Even children! We’ve all seen photos and videos of Leo as he holds a baby or infant and the calming effect he’s had on many of those who cry!
Whenever I tell people the foremost quality I sense in Leo XIV is serenity, to a person they have responded; “I never thought of it but yes, it’s the perfect word to describe Pope Leo.”
A serene person can appear as a calm anchor in a storm, and today’s world really needs calm anchors.
And, as someone once wrote, a serene person can appear to be that “sign of relief” in troubled situations.
POPE TO ROME PRIESTS: REKINDLE THE FAITH, URGENT TO PROCLAIM CHRIST’S PROMISES
Pope Leo XIV invites priests of Diocese of Rome to rekindle their gift of the faith, proclaim the Gospel, be close to families and young people, and support one another in priestly fraternity, especially young priests who may feel overwhelmed. Pope Leo XIV received the priests of the Diocese of Rome in the Vatican on Thursday and exhorted them to rekindle the fire first lit by God when He gave them the gift of collaborating in His work. The Pope expressed his “great joy” to meet with them and joked that although Lent has just begun, the audience “is not an act of penance.” In his address, the Pope identified challenges and priorities for priests, inviting them to let faith sustain them. Pope to Rome priests: Rekindle the faith, urgent to proclaim Christ’s promises – Vatican News
POPE TO LEGIONARIES OF CHRIST: RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY IS SERVICE, NOT DOMINATION
Meeting with the General Chapter of the Legionaries of Christ, a religious congregation founded in Mexico in 1941, Pope Leo XIV said the role of authority in religious life is to focus the community on Christ, not as a means to dominate members. In his address, the Pope said General Chapters offer religious orders an opportunity to listen to the Holy Spirit and engage in communal discernment so as to guide the community into the future. The Legionaries have received a charism within the Church, despite historical expressions and scandals that have led to pain and crises, he noted. Pope Leo encouraged the congregation’s members to continue to recall their history and seek renewal constantly in order to remain faithful to the Gospel, saying their charism offers a “valuable contribution” to the Church and the spiritual family of Regnum Christi, a lay movement. Pope to Legionaries of Christ: Religious authority is service, not domination – Vatican News
POPE TO VISIT POMPEII, NAPLES, AND LAMPEDUSA ON PASTORAL TOUR OF ITALY
The Prefecture of the Papal Household announced a number of Pope Leo’s pastoral day visits in Italy this year, including Pompeii, Naples, Acerra, Pavia, Assisi, Rimini, and Lampedusa. Leo XIV is scheduled to make a number of trips in Italy, including to the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, in 2026. The papal calendar runs through August 22. The months of May, June, July, and August will be marked by these visits, meetings, and moments of prayer, in particular the one-year anniversary of his election on May 8 when he will visit Pompeii and Naples. This will be the start of this Italian tour. Pope to visit Pompeii, Naples, and Lampedusa on pastoral tour of Italy – Vatican News
Joan's Rome 