In an audience with the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Pope Leo XIV thanked them for their humble service to the communities of the Holy Land, where they are called to bear witness “that life conquers death.”
At the beginning of his address, the pope recalled the mission with which the order was established in 1098: to protect the Holy Sepulchre, care for pilgrims, and sustain the Church of Jerusalem.
The Holy Father thanked the members of the order present for continuing the work they do “with the humility, dedication, and spirit of sacrifice that characterize chivalric orders,” especially for their witness and solidarity with the Christians of the Holy Land.
In particular, the pontiff emphasized that even today they help the communities of the Holy Land “without any fanfare or seeking publicity” and support the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in its various activities, such as charitable works and humanitarian projects.
“You show that protecting the sepulchre of Christ does not simply mean preserving a historical, archaeological, or artistic heritage — no matter how important that may be — but rather sustaining a Church made of living stones, which was born around it and still lives today as an authentic sign of Easter hope,” he noted.
Leo XIV then reflected on the order’s mission and affirmed that remaining at the sepulchre of the Lord “means renewing one’s faith in the God who keeps his promises, whose power no human force can overcome.”
“In a world where arrogance and violence seem to prevail over charity,” he continued, “you are called to bear witness that life conquers death, that love conquers hatred, that forgiveness conquers revenge, and that mercy and grace conquer sin.”
He also exhorted the members of the order to preside over the holy places with faith, thus helping the faithful “to pause with their hearts at Christ’s tomb, where pain finds its answer in trust.”
To achieve this, he advised them to have an “intense sacramental life” as well as to listen to and meditate on the word of God through personal and liturgical prayer and spiritual formation.
The pope also reflected on the hope embodied in the women who went to the tomb to seek Jesus, which he described as “the face of service,” reiterating his gratitude to the order “for the great good you do, following the ancient tradition of assistance that characterizes you.”
“How often, thanks to your work, a ray of light opens for individuals, families, and entire communities who risk being overwhelmed by terrible tragedies, at every level, especially in the places where Jesus lived,” he noted.
He also noted that the image of St. Peter and St. John rushing to the sepulcher and finding Jesus’ tomb empty represents “the gesture of pilgrimage, a symbol of the search for the ultimate meaning of life.”
Pope Leo thus invited them to experience their pilgrimage to Rome “as a stage from which to resume the journey toward the only true and definitive goal: full and eternal communion with God in paradise.”
The pontiff asked them to bear witness and to invite the faithful “to experience the things of this world with the freedom and joy of those who know they are on their way toward the infinite horizon of eternity.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
