Pope Leo XIV's All Saints' Day Address: God Has Opened the Way to Eternal Life

Mass at Verano Cemetery for All Souls' Day

Pope Leo III presided over a mass commemorating all the faithful departed this past Sunday (2nd Nov) at Verano Cemetery in Rome, Italy. He spoke of the importance of proclaiming eternal life to those buried in the cemetery; God “will destroy death forever” because God has already “defeated death” through the crucifixion (the means by which God opened for us the “way to eternal life”) and we can enter into the “valley of death” with Christ and be part of His resurrection.

Constructed by Vespignani in the 1800's, the four large statues of Meditation, Hope, Charity, and Silence that overlook the entrance of the Quadriportico (a place where the Pope enters) are located in this area which separates the streets of Rome from a museum-like setting filled with sculptures and historical-artistic treasures. 83 hectares completely surrounded by distinct tall walls form a city within a city and was chosen as the place where the Pope will celebrate Mass on November 2 (the day he continued the tradition established by Pope Francis in 2013 when he celebrated Mass at a famous cemetery called San Lorenzo in order to pray for the deceased). In the years after, this has continued with Masses having been celebrated at many different cemeteries all over Rome, along with Anzio, Nettuno and other places nearby.

A floral arrangement

Pope Leo heard Schola Cantorum sing the Requiem as he walked through part of the cemetery called Pincetto. The area had been closed off since morning - almost 2,500 people (men and women, young and old, nuns and priests) rushed to find their spot in a square surrounded on all sides by gravestones and small mausoleum-type structures. There was art everywhere: angels in sorrow; Madonnas with tears in their eyes; sculptures of women with children; busts; arches; chapels; typical statues of the Capitoline wolf. There were both color and black-and-white photographs, some made from as early as 2000. It is not far from the humble platform used to host cards with large gold altars along with where the sepulchers of great people like authors, scientists, artists, musicians, and others are located to know the grave site with large letters stating 'Garibaldi', home of Ricciotti Garibaldi - son of famous Italian, and many of his descendents.

Commemorating the deceased instills hope for the future

In remembrance of those who have passed

At 3:45 PM, Leo XIV was drawn to the Verano Cemetery; he arrived well in advance of the scheduled time. Upon entering the cemetery, he was greeted by some very moderate applause from the small gathering; this reaction was clearly in respect for the distinct solemnity of the occasion and setting. Accompanying him inside were Cardinal Vicar Baldo Reina and members of the Papal entourage. All male members were instructed to wear hats when greeting the Pope outside of the cemetery; female members were instructed to remain bareheaded. The first act of the Pope was to pause before a headstone located at the front entrance (also the opening to this mausoleum-style cemetery). Inscriptions (which are now unreadable due to age) read "Antonia Coccia Nicolini - Wife" and her immediate family, however, there is no date on this stone. The Pope placed a bouquet of white roses on the headstone; he then took a moment of prayer and blessed all the deceased interred in Verano with this gesture, which was symbolic in nature.

As the Pope began his homily, he reflected on how we keep those who have left us close to our hearts even after they have gone from us. Their memories continue to live in us forever and guide us through our daily lives.

It isn’t unusual for some kind of stimulus to trigger memories of people we were close to, allowing us to remember and enjoy past times we shared together. Many places, especially the smell of where we live, bring back memories of loved ones who have died; they hold a special place in our hearts and keep their memories alive within us.

Many times when we see or hear something (such as an item) will trigger an old memory of someone, bringing back thoughts of past shared experiences between us. Locations and even smells from our homes remind us of our loved ones and also of those who have passed away while keeping those memories alive in our minds.

A prospective hope rooted in the resurrection of Christ

Today there is a celebration that will provide both an opportunity to remember and to reflect on New Year's Eve: "Christian faith, which is rooted in the Paschal mystery of Christ, enables us to see our memories as more than just a record of what has happened but, more importantly, a source of hope for what is to come." Thus, "less emphasis is on looking back and more emphasis is on looking forward to the goal of our journey; the shelter which God gives us; and the eternal banquet that awaits us, where death will be no more."

Pope Leo XIV emphasized that the "hope of the future" is what gives meaning to prayer and remembrance; he characterized it as not a mere illusion to relieve the misery we feel from being apart from those we love nor just human optimism.

"This is a hope that is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ who has defeated death and provided us the means for attaining our full potential."

Love triumphs over mortality

In a recent General Audience catechesis, the Pope reflected on the fact that Jesus is the "end of our journey". Jesus guarantees that we will reach home and that He will lead us safely back home, to a place where we will be awaited, loved, and redeemed.

The final destination will be called "an encounter with love." It is the same love that God used to create our existence; it is the same love that His Son delivers us from death; it is through his love that He desires us to have eternal life with him and our loved ones. The Pope stressed that "we can be moving toward this goal, which we can experience right now, through an unbreakable bond with those that have gone before us," because we are living in love and helping others through charity, especially those most vulnerable and in need.

"God reunites us with our loved ones through love, which overcomes death. In addition, charity unites us as we walk together, transforming our lives into a prayer, reaching towards God, uniting us as we wait to meet again in the delight of everlasting life."

"Through loving one another, we have conquered Death. God will reunite us with those we hold dear through His love and grace. Acts of charity allow us to walk together on this journey of faithful living, thereby transforming our lives into a prayer that rises to heaven and joins us with our loved ones who have gone before us. As we look forward to being reunited with them for all eternity, our acts of charity allow us to stay connected to them."

Removing each tear

The invitation extended by this passage is that we can place our confidence in “the hope that cannot fail”: “Let us look to the Risen Christ and visualize our deceased relatives surrounding him with his light. We must allow the Lord's promise of eternal life to find its way into our hearts. He will destroy death forever,” said Pope Leo. He concluded with the statement “The Lord awaits us; and when we finally meet Him at the end of our human experience, we will rejoice with him and those of our loved ones who have gone before.”

"May this promise uplift our strength, comfort us in our grief, and inspire us to have everlasting faith in the existence of a bright future ahead of us. "This promise will uplift our strength, comfort us in grief, and allow us to have faith in the existence of a bright future ahead."

Last, the end of the celebration concluded with the Prayer for Eternal Rest, and the cypress trees of Verano began to be shrouded in shadows—the late afternoon hours. The Pope also greeted all present with his blessing—the majority of whom were praying or were even recording the moment using their smartphones—with some attending the graves of their loved ones, bearing flowers.

Upon his return to the Vatican, Pope Leo proceeded to the crypt of Saint Peter's Basilica to engage in a moment of solitary prayer for the souls of the deceased Popes.