Pope Leo XIV Urges Rome to Welcome Foreigners as He Ends 2025/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Pope Leo XIV ended 2025 with a prayer urging Rome to be a welcoming city for migrants, the poor, and the elderly. During New Year’s Eve vespers at St. Peter’s Basilica, he praised volunteers and reflected on the Holy Year. The ceremony also marked his first Jubilee since succeeding Pope Francis in May.
Pope Leo XIV Calls for Welcoming Rome Quick Looks
- Pope Leo XIV led New Year’s Eve vespers in St. Peter’s Basilica.
- He prayed that Rome becomes a more welcoming city for all.
- The message emphasized care for foreigners, the elderly, and struggling families.
- Leo praised volunteers for managing the large Jubilee crowds in 2025.
- The 2025 Holy Year brought millions of pilgrims to the Vatican.
- Pope Francis opened the Jubilee on December 24, 2024, before his death.
- Leo referenced Francis’ desire for a more inclusive Rome.
- Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri attended the service with other dignitaries.
- Vatican reports 3.2 million participants in events throughout the Jubilee.
- The numbers surged after Pope Leo’s election in May 2025.
Pope Leo XIV Urges Rome to Welcome Foreigners as He Ends 2025
Deep Look
As the world prepared to ring in 2026, Pope Leo XIV closed the year with a spiritual message of unity and inclusion, calling for Rome to open its arms to the vulnerable and those seeking a better life. Speaking at the New Year’s Eve vespers in St. Peter’s Basilica, the newly elected pontiff prayed for a Rome that welcomes not only pilgrims, but all who come in search of dignity.
“Rome must be worthy of its little ones,” Leo said during his homily. “Of children, of lonely and fragile elderly people, of families who struggle to get by, of men and women who have come from afar hoping for a dignified life.”
The vespers service marked a moment of reflection on the 2025 Holy Year — or Jubilee — which saw millions travel to the Vatican for spiritual renewal and pilgrimage. Pope Francis, who died in April, had opened the Jubilee in December 2024, fulfilling a long-standing Christian tradition that takes place once every 25 years.
Leo, the first American pope, will officially close the Jubilee on January 6. But in his New Year’s Eve remarks, he took time to thank Rome for hosting so many faithful and acknowledged the countless volunteers who worked behind the scenes to manage the flow of visitors.
“I would like it to be so again,” he said of Rome’s tradition of hospitality. “And I would say even more so after this time of grace.”
Seated among the congregation were several political leaders, including Rome’s Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, underscoring the civil importance of the moment.
Pope Leo’s message carried on the vision laid out by his predecessor. Francis had long emphasized compassion for the marginalized and the migrant. Leo’s continuation of that call suggests his pontificate may maintain a strong social justice orientation, even as the Vatican adjusts to a new era.
The Vatican this week published attendance figures from the Jubilee year, reporting that 3.2 million people participated in Vatican events — from liturgies and papal audiences to Angelus prayers and Jubilee-specific gatherings. Attendance remained low early in the year, largely due to Francis’ declining health and hospitalization. But the figures rose sharply following Leo’s election in May.
This year’s Jubilee held special significance beyond the usual spiritual observance. It came amid a period of historic change for the Catholic Church. Francis’ passing in April concluded one of the most transformative papacies in modern history. His death also opened the way for the election of Leo XIV, a moment that marked the rise of the first pontiff from the United States.
The New Year’s Eve service, then, was not just a liturgical tradition, but a reflection of the transition the Church has undergone in 2025. Pope Leo has taken office at a time of immense global uncertainty, yet his address called for enduring values: inclusion, dignity, and compassion.
As 2026 begins, Leo’s prayer that Rome may remain a place of welcome sets the tone for his early leadership and affirms the Vatican’s broader mission of service to all, regardless of origin or status.
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