As the Church marks 800 years since the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pope Leo XIV encouraged Catholics to follow the saint’s example by remaining rooted in Christ, working for unity, and praying for peace throughout the world.

During his Sunday Angelus in Saint Peter’s Square, the Holy Father reflected on the continuing influence of Saint Francis, whose response to Christ helped bring renewal to the Church. Francis understood that this renewal had to begin with a life firmly founded upon Jesus.

Through poverty, prayer, sacrifice, and charity, Saint Francis sought to conform himself more closely to Christ. His commitment to Christian fraternity also provided an answer to division, showing that authentic reform of the Church begins with personal conversion and fidelity to the Lord.

Pope Leo connected this example with Sunday’s Gospel parable of the vineyard. Christ came into the world as the Son sent by the Father, but He was rejected and ultimately put to death. What appeared to be defeat, however, became part of God’s work of salvation.

Recalling the biblical image of the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone, the Pope emphasized that evil and violence do not have the final word. God can bring redemption from rejection and remain at work even amid humanity’s failures.

That truth also provides a foundation for the Christian pursuit of peace. As the Church observes the Franciscan Jubilee Year, Pope Leo called upon the faithful not only to ask God for peace, but also to actively foster reconciliation and harmony among peoples.

The Pope concluded the Angelus by entrusting these intentions to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He also united himself in prayer with the faithful gathered at the Shrine of Pompeii for the traditional Supplication to Our Lady of the Rosary.