Pope Leo XIV is encouraging Christians and Church communities to rediscover the true meaning of hospitality by looking to the example of the Holy Family, especially St. Joseph, as a model of presence, care, and faithful service.
Speaking at the Vatican to participants of the fourth edition of the “Cathedra of Hospitality,” an educational and cultural gathering focused this year on the theme “Youth and the Church: Hospitality that fosters belonging,” the Holy Father reflected on the Christian call to welcome others and build communion. The event brought together Church movements and organizations working to foster dialogue and reflection on contemporary social and pastoral issues.
The Pope emphasized that hospitality is not merely a social courtesy but a fundamental expression of Christian life rooted in authentic relationships. According to Vatican News, he explained that true welcome begins with encounter. “At the heart of every authentic welcome, there is a relationship born from the grace of an encounter,” Pope Leo XIV said.
He pointed out that young people, often seen only as the future of the Church, are already a vital part of its present life and mission. In a world undergoing rapid cultural and social change, he said the questions and concerns of young people invite Christians to renew the way they relate to others.
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“Welcoming young people means, first of all, listening to their voices, meeting their gaze, and recognizing that, in their lives and in their languages, the Spirit continues to act and to suggest renewed paths of presence and care,” the Pope said, according to Vatican News.
Reflecting on the deeper meaning of Christian hospitality, Pope Leo focused on two essential dimensions: presence and care. Human life, he noted, unfolds within communities such as the family, parish, school, university, and workplace. These environments shape identity and relationships.
“To be present in the lives of others means sharing time, experiences, and meaning, offering stable points of reference in which others can recognize themselves and grow,” the Pope said, according to Vatican News.
To illustrate this calling, he turned to the Holy Family of Nazareth. The Pope referenced the Gospel account in which Mary and Joseph lose the child Jesus and later find Him in the Temple after three days. That experience, he explained, reveals how easily people can take the presence of others—and even the presence of Christ—for granted.
“It has happened to each of us to lose someone or something to which we were deeply attached. In that moment we realize how precious that presence was,” the Pope said, according to Vatican News.
He suggested that moments of spiritual distance from Christ often reveal not that Christ has disappeared, but that believers themselves have drifted away. When that happens, Christians are called to search again for the Lord with renewed faith and openness.
“We feel a sense of loss. In reality, it is not He who has been lost, but we who have moved away,” the Pope said, according to Vatican News.
In rediscovering Christ, believers must be willing to move beyond familiar expectations and encounter God anew. Seeking Jesus, the Pope said, requires leaving behind a limited vision of God and being open to discovering Him where He truly dwells.
The Holy Father then pointed to St. Joseph as a powerful model of this lived hospitality. Entrusted with the care of Jesus and Mary, Joseph embodied the inseparable relationship between presence and responsibility.
“To care means to stand beside the other with attention, to respect their choices, and to take responsibility for them,” the Pope said, according to Vatican News.
Joseph’s faithful guardianship of the Holy Family reflects the very heart of God’s care for His people, the Pope added. Just as God watches over humanity, families and communities are called to safeguard and nurture the lives entrusted to them.
“Joseph shows us that presence and care are inseparable dimensions: one does not safeguard without being present, and one is not truly present without assuming responsibility for the other,” Pope Leo XIV said, according to Vatican News.
Concluding his address, the Holy Father encouraged those gathered to continue forming communities marked by genuine welcome and fraternity. He urged them to serve as witnesses of hospitality within the Church and society.
He expressed gratitude for their quiet dedication and encouraged them to continue their mission of building environments that reflect the love of Christ.
“Continue together to create environments capable of promoting goodness and fraternity in the Christian community and in society,” the Pope said, according to Vatican News.
Through the example of St. Joseph and the Holy Family, Pope Leo XIV reminded believers that true hospitality is not simply an act of kindness, but a path that leads toward holiness.
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