Pope Leo XIV urged the world to embrace unity and reject rising nationalism during his Pentecost homily on Sunday. Speaking to a crowd of 80,000 gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff denounced what he called an “exclusionary mindset” and called on the faithful to open their hearts and minds, rather than build barriers.
Without naming specific leaders or events, Leo’s words were pointed. He encouraged people to “break down barriers between class and race” and “move beyond our fear of those who are different,” emphasizing that the Holy Spirit tears down “walls of indifference and hatred.”
“Where there is love,” he said, “there is no room for prejudice or for so-called ‘security zones’ that divide us from our neighbors.”
Though he didn’t address physical borders directly, Leo’s remarks echoed debates surrounding global migration and political nationalism, including rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The homily marked one month since the 69-year-old former Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago became pope. Before the Mass, Leo circled the square in the popemobile, greeted by cheers from the faithful under sunny skies.
Leo expressed concern about social media’s isolating effects, cautioning that while people are “constantly connected,” they often become “confused and solitary travelers” in a “vortex of individualism.”
Since his election on May 8, Pope Leo XIV has consistently emphasized bridge-building and peace. Earlier this week, he held his first phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and reiterated his willingness to mediate conflicts.
Pentecost, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’s followers, marked a fitting occasion for the pope’s call to unity and compassion.
