At the Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV continued his catechesis series on “Jesus Christ, our Hope” as part of the Jubilee 2025, reflecting on the mystery of Holy Saturday and the meaning of Christian hope that is born in silence.
Speaking to thousands of pilgrims and visitors, the Pope emphasized that the day Jesus lay in the tomb was not one of emptiness, but of expectation and hidden fullness.
“Holy Saturday is the day of great silence, in which the sky seems mute and the earth immobile, but it is precisely there that the deepest mystery of the Christian faith is fulfilled,” he said, comparing it to “the womb of a mother who carries her unborn but already living child.”
The Holy Father explained that Jesus’ burial in a garden recalls the lost Eden, and that the “new tomb” signifies a threshold of new life. He underlined the importance of rest, noting how even the Son of God rested after completing His work of salvation.
“Christian hope is not born in noise, but in the silence of an expectation filled with love. Even when life seems blocked, God is preparing His greatest surprises,” he said, pointing to the Virgin Mary as a model of patient hope and trust.
At the conclusion of the Audience, Pope Leo XIV turned his thoughts to the suffering people of Gaza. “I express my profound closeness to the Palestinian people in Gaza, who continue to live in fear and in unacceptable conditions, forcibly displaced once again from their own lands,” he said.
He renewed his appeal for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, and a negotiated diplomatic solution in full respect of international humanitarian law, urging the faithful to join him in prayer so that “a dawn of peace and justice” may soon arise.
The Holy Father also extended a warm welcome to pilgrims from around the world. In particular, he greeted groups from Asia, including India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam, along with other nations.
He prayed that the Jubilee of Hope may be “a time of grace and spiritual renewal” for families and communities, invoking upon all the joy and peace of Christ.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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