Pope Leo XIV at the “Governorate Family Celebration”
Witness and Presence
A word of thanks to all present for their faithful participation and for all they do—sometimes with great sacrifice—to live united as a family, offering this message and thus witnessing in the spirit left to us by Jesus Christ.
Before a square filled with parents, grandparents, and children, Pope Leo XIV appeared at the main entrance of the Governorate building and expressed his joy at being able to share this special moment dedicated to the family. This was the highlight of the “Governorate Family Celebration,” which has now become an annual event for the Governorate’s employees. The Pope’s surprise appearance on Saturday evening, September 6, was met with applause and great enthusiasm from the families and especially the children. He emphasized the importance of gathering together to celebrate family bonds and offered affectionate words to the little ones. His message resonated with those present, drawing more applause.
The Pope then invited everyone to recite the Hail Mary and imparted a blessing to all those gathered. At his side were Sr. Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governorate, together with the two Secretaries General, Archbishop Emilio Nappa and Atty. Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi. Also present were Cardinals Fernando Vérgez Alzaga and Giuseppe Bertello, Presidents Emeriti of the Governorate, and Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, Secretary General Emeritus of the Synod of Bishops.
After his address, Pope Leo XIV spent a long time among the crowd, offering a moment of closeness. For nearly an hour, he walked among children and parents, distributing blessings, caresses, hugs, and handshakes, cheerfully accepting numerous photo requests. The Pope also received, with surprise and gratitude, a most unusual yet affectionate gift: a traditional Margherita pizza decorated with mozzarella arranged to spell out “Viva Pope Leo XIV.”
Before the Pope’s arrival, Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga had presided over the Eucharistic Concelebration at the Grotto of Lourdes. Among the concelebrants were Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello and Archbishop Emilio Nappa. Father Franco Fontana, Coordinator of the Chaplains of the Directorates and Central Offices, led the liturgy.
After Mass, the celebration was enlivened with games for children, jugglers, soap bubbles, craft areas, live music, inflatable slides, and numerous food stands. It was truly a day marked by family fun —a special moment that radiated an atmosphere of harmony and community. It was an occasion to remember that, despite daily challenges, the family remains the anchor of society.
Below is the homily of Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga:
It is a joy for me to first greet our dear Cardinal Bertello, who wished to join us for this celebration,
Dear Sr. Raffaella,
Dear Monsignors Emilio Nappa and Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi,
Dear Directors and Leaders of the various Directorates,
Dear Chaplains,
Dear friends—all employees and family members, especially your children.
Today we are gathered here, around the Eucharistic Table and at the feet of Our Lady, our Mother, to celebrate something precious, something we often take for granted but which is the beating heart of our lives: the family.
We also wish to recall that this celebration was postponed because of the sudden passing of Pope Francis, to whom we offer our affectionate remembrance, along with our prayers and filial devotion to his successor, Pope Leo XIV.
We also stand on the eve of an important canonization. Tomorrow morning, in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope will proclaim two laypeople as saints: the adolescent Carlo Acutis and the young Pier Giorgio Frassati. Both became holy within their families and bore witness to Christ in their everyday environments.
Family is not made up only of blood ties. It is made of love, mutual care, patience, and forgiveness. It is the place where together we learn to live, share and face life’s joys and challenges. It is in the family that the first sense of trust is built, the first consoling embrace is given, the first encouraging word is heard.
Today we do not celebrate the perfect family, but rather the desire to walk together, to grow in love even through fragility. We celebrate all families: large and small, those with children and those without, those wounded and seeking to rebuild, those that welcome others, those marked by migration, economic hardship, or loneliness. All deserve respect, support, and gratitude.
We live in difficult times. The frantic pace of life, daily worries, and fragile relationships test the solidity of family bonds. Precisely for this reason, we need more than ever to find time to listen to each other, to look one another in the eye, to be together without hurry. Family is not just a personal treasure; it is a gift to society as a whole. A society that invests in family invests in its own future.
For us Christians, family is also a place of faith, where God draws near through simple gestures: a shared meal, a prayer before bedtime, a hand extended in apology. Let us think of the Holy Family of Nazareth, which was neither wealthy nor powerful but full of trust in God and capable of facing every challenge together.
Indeed, Jesus chose to be born into a family, and His very presence made it holy. This is something to reflect on: welcoming Jesus into the family brings blessing and perfection to its members.
At this celebration, let us give thanks:
* to parents who sacrifice daily for their children,
* to grandparents who pass on wisdom and tenderness,
* to children who, even in their quiet way, teach us selfless love,
* and to those who, even without a family of their own, become brothers or sisters to others.
May this day be an opportunity to slow down, to reconnect, to give thanks, and to renew our commitment to cherish our families as the greatest treasure we possess.
Now a word about the Gospel we have heard: Jesus is surrounded by a large crowd, people full of enthusiasm, captivated by His words and miracles. We might expect Him to encourage them, to reassure them—but no. Instead, Jesus turns and speaks hard words: “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.”
This is not an easy saying. It is not an emotional appeal. Rather, it is a call to conscious choice, to the radical nature of the Gospel. Jesus is not looking for numbers but for hearts truly willing to follow Him. He does not seek an enthusiastic crowd that does not understand where He is leading. He wants free, determined, mature disciples.
That is why He immediately gives two very concrete examples: one who builds a tower calculates the cost first; one going to war assesses his forces. Jesus is saying that following Him is serious. It cannot be improvised. One cannot be a disciple halfway.
Being a Christian is a choice that involves one’s entire life. That is why He also speaks of the cross: “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”
The cross is not a misfortune or bad luck; it is everything in life that tests us, costs us effort, but which, lived with love, makes us like Jesus. Carrying the cross does not mean seeking suffering, but rather accepting in faith what life asks of us, if only to remain faithful to the Gospel.
It means choosing Jesus every day, even when it is uncomfortable, even when it requires change. It means carrying our cross without complaining, trusting that He walks with us. It means using our resources, our time, and our relationships not to possess, but to serve.
In a world that urges us to accumulate, to have everything immediately, Jesus offers the harder path, but also the only one that leads to true freedom and complete joy.
Brothers and sisters, let us not be discouraged by these demanding words. Jesus calls us to a real decision. He does not leave us alone on the journey: He gives us His grace, His strength, His presence.
Let us ask Him today for the courage to follow Him wholeheartedly, even when the road is narrow. For in the end, only those who lose their life for Him will truly find it.
This month of September, the Church celebrates three Marian feasts within one week: the Nativity of Mary (September 8), the Most Holy Name of Mary (September 12), and Our Lady of Sorrows (September 15). In prayer, we link Mary’s birth with her divine maternity. In particular, the Nativity of Mary reminds us that the birth of a person is always an event that brings hope. This was especially true for Mary, the Mother of God: her birth marked the dawn of the fullness of salvation history.
I conclude by invoking upon all of you, your families, and your children the blessing and protection of the Child Mary, our Mother.
Happy feast day to all, with a heart full of joy!
