During his General Audience on Wednesday, June 26th, Pope Leo XIV offered a powerful reflection on two intertwined miracles from Chapter 5 of the Gospel of Mark: the healing of the hemorrhaging woman and the raising of Jairus’ daughter. Rome correspondent Ashley Noronha and Glen Lewerenz discussed the Pope’s catechesis on Relevant in Rome, highlighting his message about faith, healing, and the difference between physical and spiritual death. Pope Leo reminded the faithful that natural death is merely sleep in the eyes of God, but spiritual death—the loss of one’s connection to God through sin and despair—is what we must truly fear. He called on listeners not to be paralyzed by guilt, fear, or shame, but instead to bring those burdens to the feet of Jesus. Just as the woman with the hemorrhage reached out in faith and was healed, so too can we find healing by entrusting our sins and struggles to the Lord.
The conversation then turned to the Jubilee of Seminarians, Priests, and Bishops, a multi-day spiritual celebration taking place in Rome from June 23rd to 27th. From the 23rd to the 26th, the focus was on seminarians. Their time began with First Vespers and included Mass with Pope Leo. During that Mass, the Holy Father encouraged them to pursue a path of joy, honesty, and vulnerability, which he described as the keys to authentic grace. Seminarians also had opportunities to attend confession, participate in the Eucharist, and hear talks from speakers who shared insights into their own vocations and pastoral journeys.
June 25th was the Jubilee of bishops. They gathered in Rome for a solemn procession through the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica—a symbolic act of pilgrimage and renewal—and received catechesis from Pope Leo XIV. Like the seminarians, the bishops had opportunities for prayer, confession, and spiritual talks, designed to strengthen their ministry and unity in the episcopacy.
From the 25th to the 27th, the focus was on priests. They too processed through the Holy Door and took part in various events aimed at deepening their vocational commitment. A special highlight was the vocations vigil held in St. Peter’s Square, an evening dedicated to prayer for current and future priests. The Jubilee will culminate on June 27th with Pope Leo presiding over the ordination of new priests. During this final liturgy, all clergy present will be invited to renew their sacred commitments to God and His Church, a fitting close to a week of grace and renewal for the shepherds of the Church.