Name: Pope Leo asks Rome to be welcoming to foreigners as year ends
Uploaded: 2025-12-31T18:56:04.910Z
Duration: 1 min
Description: The Vatican this week released statistics showing 3.2 million people had participated in Vatican liturgies, audiences, Angelus prayers and Jubilee audiences this year. Pope Leo XIV asked that Rome be welcoming to foreigners as 2025 draws to a close.

The Vatican this week released statistics showing 3.2 million people had participated in Vatican liturgies, audiences, Angelus prayers and Jubilee audiences this year. Pope Leo XIV asked that Rome be welcoming to foreigners as 2025 draws to a close.

Rome

Pope Leo XIV delivered the final general audience of the year in St. Peter's Square, addressing thousands of faithful. He reflected on the year's significant events, mentioning both joyful occasions such as the Holy Year pilgrimage and painful moments like the departure of Pope Francis and ongoing wars.

The Pope emphasized the importance of welcoming foreigners in Rome, especially as the city prepares for the traditional Holy Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The address highlighted the dual nature of the past year, marked by both celebration and sorrow.

Pope Leo asks Rome to be welcoming to foreigners as year ends

Pope Leo XIV held the last general audience of the year in front of thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday. The Pope spoke about a year punctuated by moments of contrasting significance, which have contained both joy and pain. The past year has certainly been marked by important events, some joyful, such as the pilgrimage of so many faithful on the occasion of the Holy Year, others painful, such as the departure of Pope Francis and the scenarios of war that continue to shake the planet. The traditional Holy Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, takes place on Thursday, New Year's Day.

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