St. Peter’s Basilica appeared quiet and solemn, awaiting the arrival of Pope Leo XIV and the liturgical ministers as they entered the basilica’s main altar. Pope Leo XIV presided over the festive celebration of the Feast of Pentecost on May 24, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Rome time. Half an hour earlier, the faithful were invited to pray the Rosary, a tradition at the Vatican before the start of the Eucharistic celebration.

The choir members welcomed Pope Leo’s arrival with a melodious opening antiphon, “Spiritus Domini replevit orbem terrarum, alleluia,” which in English means: “The Spirit of the Lord fills the world, alleluia.” This hymn is a special opening antiphon for the Feast of Pentecost, with text taken from the Book of Wisdom 1:7. This chant is one of the most well-known Gregorian chants, celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles.

In his homily, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that the Easter Season reaches its climax on the Feast of Pentecost. He invited the faithful to reflect on the extraordinary work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the apostles. The Holy Father invited the faithful to reflect on the Gospel, when the disciples were overcome by fear and shut themselves. Yet Jesus came and stood among them, even though the doors were locked, and filled them with joy by greeting them: “Peace be with you” (Jn 20:19). After that, He breathed the Holy Spirit upon the disciples.

“Pentecost is a celebration of Easter and a celebration of the Body of Christ, of which, by grace, we are all a part,” said Pope Leo.

In his homily, he focused on three aspects of the Holy Spirit’s work: the Spirit of Peace, the Spirit of Mission, and the Spirit of Truth.

Regarding the Spirit of Peace, Pope Leo emphasized that through His Paschal Mystery, Christ restores peace between God and humanity, and the Holy Spirit pours that peace into our hearts and spreads it throughout the world.

“This peace comes from forgiveness and leads us to forgiveness,” said Pope Leo.

That peace begins with the forgiveness granted by Jesus Himself, whom we betrayed, condemned, and crucified, yet He still loves us and says: “If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven.” With these words, Jesus involves us in the divine work, for only God can forgive sins.

Furthermore, regarding the missionary aspect of the Holy Spirit, the Pope quoted the Gospel: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

Thus, we are drawn into the mission of Jesus, He who comes from God and returns to God through the power of the Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, and is worshiped and glorified together with them as one God. The Holy Spirit is the living love of Christ that fills, drives, and sustains us in the mission of the Church.

“Dear brothers and sisters, we are truly co-workers in the Gospel: the whole Church is the main actor, not merely its guardian,” said Pope Leo.

This mission begins with the proclamation of the truth about God and humanity, for the Spirit of the Risen One is Truth.

Pope Leo said that the Holy Spirit, who has spoken through the prophets, always promotes unity in truth because He instilled in us the understanding, and harmony of life. As St. Augustine taught, “The Holy Spirit wills that this be a sign of His presence.”

He also emphasized that the Comforter protects us from everything that hinders this understanding, including partisanship, hypocrisy, and the currents of the times that obscure the light of the Gospel. The truth given by God becomes a word of liberation for all nations, a message that transforms every culture from within.

Before concluding his homily, Pope Leo invited the faithful to pray, imploring the Holy Spirit to save humanity from the evil of war—an evil not overcome by force, but by the almighty power of love.

“Let us pray that He may free humanity from suffering, which is redeemed not by immeasurable wealth, but by unending grace.”

He also invited the faithful to pray that God may heal us from the wounds of sin through the salvation proclaimed to all nations in the name of Jesus.

“This is the grace that instilled courage in the apostles; may He also instils it in us, today and always, through the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church,” he said, concluding his homily.

Following the festive celebration of the Eucharist, Pope Leo XIV led the Regina Caeli prayer in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City. He appeared at the central window on the second floor of the Apostolic Palace. Despite the sweltering heat, thousands of faithful remained steadfastly waiting in St. Peter’s Square.

Written by Sr. M. Angela Siallagan FCJM and translated by Sr. M. Emmanuela Sitorus FCJM