Pope Leo XIV used his Angelus address on the Third Sunday of Advent to draw attention to renewed violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, calling on those involved to abandon armed conflict and recommit themselves to dialogue and peace.
After praying with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father said he was “following with deep concern the resumption of fighting in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo,” according to Catholic News Agency. Expressing solidarity with those suffering from the violence, he appealed directly to those responsible, saying, “While expressing my closeness to the people, I urge the parties in the conflict to cease all forms of violence and to seek constructive dialogue, respecting the ongoing peace process,” according to the same source.
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The pope’s appeal follows reports of intensified clashes involving the M23 rebel group in the mineral-rich eastern region, despite a peace agreement recently signed by Congolese and Rwandan leaders, according to Catholic News Agency.
Pope Leo also turned the Church’s attention to the witness of newly beatified martyrs in Spain and France, honoring their perseverance under persecution. Reflecting on their sacrifice, he said, “Let us praise the Lord for these martyrs, courageous witnesses to the Gospel, persecuted and killed for remaining close to their people and faithful to the Church,” according to Catholic News Agency.
Earlier in the day, the Holy Father’s catechesis focused on the Gospel reading for Gaudete Sunday, which recounts John the Baptist questioning from prison whether Jesus is truly the one who is to come. From behind bars, John hears “about the works of Christ” and seeks clarity, the pope explained, according to Catholic News Agency.
Jesus’ response, Pope Leo noted, does not rely on titles or arguments but on visible signs of God’s saving power. “Christ announces who he is by what he does. And what he does is a sign of salvation for all of us,” he said, according to Catholic News Agency. Those signs, the pope explained, bring hope to lives weighed down by suffering: “The blind see, the mute speak, the deaf hear… Even the dead, who are completely lifeless, come back to life. This is the Gospel of Jesus, the good news proclaimed to the poor,” according to the same source.
Pope Leo emphasized that Christ’s message breaks through despair and injustice. “The words of Jesus free us from the prison of despair and suffering,” he said, adding that Christ “gives voice to the oppressed and to those whose voices have been silenced by violence and hatred” and “defeats ideologies that make us deaf to the truth,” according to Catholic News Agency.
As Advent continues, the pope urged Christians to remain attentive to God’s action in the world while awaiting the coming of the Savior. This posture of watchful hope, he said, leads believers to true joy, concluding, “Then we will be able to experience the joy of freedom in encountering our Savior,” according to Catholic News Agency.
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