Pope Leo XIV Calls Holiness Universal Vocation

Pope Leo XIV said in his All Saints’ Day Angelus that holiness is a universal calling, not a status reserved for a select few, and that the Church honors both canonized saints and the countless people known only to God. He described saints as people from diverse backgrounds whose lives of love, mercy, justice and peacemaking offer a sign of God’s kingdom. A related reflection stressed that holiness is lived in ordinary life: Christians are called to respond to God daily and grow in likeness to Christ, rather than imitate any one saint. Leo also urged prayer for the departed, especially those remembered by no one, and said he would celebrate Mass at Rome’s Verano Cemetery.