(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 05.24.2026) – At the conclusion of Mass for the Solemnity of Pentecost in St. Peter’s Basilica, the Holy Father went to the window of the papal apartment overlooking St. Peter’s Square to deliver his Sunday address and pray the Marian prayer of the Regina Caeli with thousands of pilgrims. Before saying goodbye, Leo XIV recalled that this same day was the “Day of Prayer for the Catholic Church in China.” Below is the English translation of the Pope’s words.
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Dear Brothers and Sisters, Happy Sunday!
On this Solemnity of Pentecost, we are called to contemplate the gift of the Holy Spirit, poured out in abundance upon the early Church and, today, once again bestowed upon its members, as the light and strength that accompanies them in every moment of life.
We can reflect on an image of the Spirit that today’s Liturgy gives us: the Spirit opens the doors. Indeed, the Gospel tells us that «the doors of the place where the disciples were gathered were locked, for fear of the Jews» (John 20:19), and at the same time, the Book of Acts tells us that the Spirit came like a rushing wind (cf. Acts 2:2), opening the doors and impelling the disciples to go out and proclaim the Good News of the Risen Christ.
Today we can also ask ourselves: What doors does the Holy Spirit open?
The first door is that of God Himself, in the sense that He opens for us access to the mystery of God, as revealed in Jesus Christ. With the gift of His Spirit, God grants us true faith, helps us understand the meaning of the Scriptures, shows Himself close to us, and allows us to share in His very life. The Holy Spirit helps us to have a personal experience of God; to find Him in Jesus and not only in the observance of a law; to recognize Him within ourselves and to discover the signs of His presence in daily life.
The second door is that of the Cenacle, that is, of the Church. Without the fire of the Spirit, the Church remains a prisoner of fear, fearful in the face of the world’s challenges, closed in on itself, and therefore also incapable of entering into dialogue with the changing times. The Spirit opens the doors of the Church so that it can welcome and receive everyone, including those who have closed the doors to God, to others, to hope, to the joy of living. As Pope Francis reminded us, we are called to be «a Church that blesses and encourages […] a Church with its doors open to all» (Homily at the Opening Mass of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, October 4, 2023).
Finally, the Holy Spirit opens the doors of our hearts, helping us to overcome resistance, selfishness, mistrust, and prejudice, and enabling us to live as children of God and brothers and sisters to one another. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, fraternity is born among people, groups, and nations of the earth, and all speak the one language of love, which unites and harmonizes differences.
Brothers and sisters, even in our day, especially on this Pentecost, we must invoke the Holy Spirit to open all the doors that still remain closed. We need to rediscover God as a Father who loves us; to build a Church where everyone feels at home; and to cultivate a fraternal world in which peace reigns among all peoples.
Like the first disciples, we entrust ourselves to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Abode of the Holy Spirit and Mother of the Church.
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