Did you hear or have you read Pope Leo XIV’s Homily at the Vigil for Peace? #Catholic – 
Dear brothers and sisters,
Your prayer is an expression of that faith which, according to the words of Jesus, moves mountains (cf. Mt 17:20). Thank you for accepting this invitation to gather here at the tomb of Saint Peter and in so many other places around the world to pray for peace. War divides; hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. Idolatry blinds us; the living God enlightens…
Prayer Vigil led by Pope Leo XIV
On Saturday, April 11, 2026, Saturday in the Octave of Easter and the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Leo XIV led thousands of pilgrims in Rome and hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people throughout the world in a Prayer Vigil for Peace. In recent days, President Donald Trump has publicly criticized Pope Leo on more than one occasion. Many cardinals, bishops, and other Catholic and non-Catholic leaders have made public statements defending Pope Leo and expressing disappointment, not only with what President Trump has said, but also with the manner and tone of the statements.
Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. of the Diocese of Trenton, issued an excellent, clear, and thorough statement, beginning with these words:
“In recent days, many of the faithful in the Diocese have reached out to me as Bishop and Shepherd of the local Church with concern, confusion, sorrow, and, in some cases, even anger regarding public comments made by President Donald Trump about our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, as well as the Holy Father’s measured response. Moments like these can unsettle hearts, especially when the unity of the Church and the dignity of her mission appear to be drawn into the turbulence of political discourse… Reflection on recent public criticism of the Holy Father, tragedy of war.
I strongly encourage readers to read (or listen to) the full text of Bishop O’Connell’s statement, available on the website of the Diocese of Trenton and on YouTube. I have shared previously that Bishop O’Connell was a Dean at St. John’s University when I was a student. He also served as the president of the Catholic University of America (from 1998 to 2010). He has served as the bishop of Trenton since Dec. 1, 2010. He is an excellent teacher and spokesperson for our Church. If you take the time to read or listen to his full statement, I believe that you will be grateful you did so.
In addition to or before reading Bishop O’Connell’s statement, I encourage you, if you have not done so, to read the homily that Pope Leo gave at the Vigil for Peace. Here is an article that offers a summary of the homily and reports on the Vigil for Peace: Pope Leo at Prayer Vigil for Peace.
This past Sunday, the Third Sunday of Easter, in the First Reading at Mass, from the Acts of the Apostles (2:14, 22-33), we heard these words: “Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed:…” It was the day of Pentecost. Peter and the Apostles had just received the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and Peter gives a long speech (homily), v. 14-36, in which he proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ. Those words of St. Peter were the preaching of the Good News of the Gospel to all the nations that continues today.
Since May 8, 2025, when he was elected as our Holy Father, as Pope, to the “Petrine (Peter’s) Ministry,” Pope Leo XIV has been doing what he is called to do, to preach the Good News of the Gospel. His first words as Pope (see Transcript of Cardinal Robert Prevost’s first speech as Pope Leo XIV), “Peace be with (all of) you,” were not his own words, but “the greeting of the Risen Christ.” He went on to speak of “…the peace of the Risen Christ, an unarmed peace and a disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally…” Pope Leo XIV has been consistent in his calling for peace, for an end to war, and for mediation and negotiations instead of violence to address conflicts.
Just as the first Christian “converts” responded to the words of the “first Pope”, St. Peter, “…Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.” (Acts 2: 41), let us respond to Pope Leo XIV’s invitation to pray and work for Peace. As he said in the homily at the Vigil for Peace:
“…Dear brothers and sisters, let us return home having made a commitment to pray without ceasing and without growing weary, a commitment to a profound conversion of heart. The Church is a great people at the service of reconciliation and peace. She advances without hesitation, even when rejecting the logic of war may lead to misunderstanding and scorn…”
Pope Leo XIV, Successor to Peter, is the living sign of the Church’s unbroken fidelity to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the teaching of the apostles. The Holy Father is following in the line of his predecessors. In his homily at the Vigil for Peace, he quotes St. Pope John XXIII and St. Pope John Paul calling for Peace. He also recalls what was a historic first, Pope Saint Paul VI addressing the General Assembly of The United Nations on Oct. 4, 1965, the Feast of the Saint of Peace, Francis of Assisi. Sixty years ago, Pope Paul used words that appear now perhaps prescient: “You know very well who we are, and whatever your opinion of the Pontiff of Rome may be, you know that our mission is to bring a message for all mankind.” The simple message of Pope Paul that followed remains the hope and prayer of people of goodwill everywhere, “Never again war, never again war! It is peace, peace that has to guide the destiny of the nations of all mankind!” In a turbulent world, as Christians, we turn to the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, who is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) and pray that God’s will is done so that peace will reign over all of the earth.
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Dear brothers and sisters, Your prayer is an expression of that faith which, according to the words of Jesus, moves mountains (cf. Mt 17:20). Thank you for accepting this invitation to gather here at the tomb of Saint Peter and in so many other places around the world to pray for peace. War divides; hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. Idolatry blinds us; the living God enlightens… Prayer Vigil led by Pope Leo XIV BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY On Saturday, April 11, 2026, Saturday in the Octave of Easter and the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope
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