Pope Leo XIV delivered a heartfelt message to religious sisters gathered in Rome, urging them to remain deeply rooted in Christ as they face key decisions about their future and that of the Church. Speaking to members of four congregations—the Daughters of Divine Charity, Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great, Augustinian Sisters of Amparo, and Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Hearts—the Holy Father reflected on the timeless truth that Christ alone is the foundation of a fruitful religious life.
The Pope’s address centered on the primacy of God and the sustaining power of His love. Quoting Saint Augustine, he said: “God is everything, your everything. If you are hungry, God is your bread; if you are thirsty, God is your water; if you are in darkness, God is your light that never fades; if you are naked, God is your everlasting garment.” With these words, the Pope invited the sisters to reflect: “To what extent are these words true for me? How much does the Lord satisfy my thirst for life, love or light?” (according to Vatican News, June 30, 2025).
This rootedness in Christ, the Pope said, is what empowered the saints and founders of their communities to do “things they perhaps never thought they could achieve.” Their fidelity and courage bore fruit that now reaches across centuries and continents. “Your presence here demonstrates” the enduring impact of their legacy, Pope Leo said.
The sisters were in Rome either for their General Chapters or Jubilee pilgrimages. Pope Leo acknowledged their varied origins but noted that all share “a common thread” inspired by great spiritual witnesses like Saints Augustine, Basil, and Francis. Their founders, he said, were stirred by “asceticism, courage and holiness of life” to create new paths of service—especially toward “the weakest, including children, poor girls and boys, orphans, migrants, and more recently for the elderly and the sick.”
In an age of rapid change and uncertainty, the Pope emphasized the need for discernment guided by the Gospel. “Your response to the challenges of the past and the vitality of your present make clear that fidelity to the ancient wisdom of the Gospel is the best way forward,” he said, affirming that their mission today must continue to be rooted in self-giving love, attentive to the Holy Spirit and the signs of the times.
Looking ahead, Pope Leo underlined the weight of their discernment: “You are faced with important choices that will determine your future, that of your sisters and of the Church Herself.” Quoting Saint Paul’s prayer from the Letter to the Ephesians, he concluded with hope: “I pray that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love… to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Before imparting his Apostolic Blessing, Pope Leo XIV expressed his gratitude for their tireless service and prayed that the Blessed Virgin Mary would guide them always in their vocation of love and sacrifice.
