This morning, the First Sunday of Lent, Pope Leo XIV made a pastoral visit to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish on Via Marsala.

Upon his arrival, around 8:30 am, the Pope met in the parish courtyard with representatives of the various parish groups.

At 9:00 am, the Holy Father presided over the celebration of Holy Mass in the parish church.

After the Eucharistic celebration, the Pope met in a room at the parish with the Pastoral Council, young people, priests, and the Salesian Community.

Below is the homily that the Pope delivered after the proclamation of the Gospel:

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Pope’s Homily

Dear brothers and sisters:

A few days ago, with the Ash Wednesday service, we began our Lenten journey . Lent is an intense liturgical season, offering us the opportunity to rediscover the richness of our Baptism, to live as creatures fully renewed through the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

The first reading and the Gospel we have just heard, in dialogue with each other, help us to rediscover precisely the gift of Baptism as a grace that unlocks our freedom. The Genesis account reminds us of our condition as creatures, tested not so much by a prohibition, as is often believed, but by a possibility: the possibility of a relationship. Human beings are free to recognize and embrace the otherness of the Creator, who recognizes and embraces the otherness of creatures. To prevent this possibility, the serpent suggests the presumption of being able to erase all difference between creatures and the Creator, seducing the man and woman with the illusion of becoming God. Satan urges them to seize something that, according to him, God would deny them in order to keep them forever in a state of inferiority. This vivid image from Genesis is an unsurpassed masterpiece that represents the drama of freedom.

The Gospel seems to answer the age-old dilemma: Can I live my life to the fullest by saying “yes” to God? Or, to be free and happy, must I free myself from Him?

The scene of Christ’s temptations, at its core, addresses this dramatic question. It leads us to discover the true humanity of Jesus, who, as the conciliar Constitution  Gaudium et spes teaches , reveals man to himself: “In the mystery of the Incarnate Word the mystery of man finds its true light” ( GS , 22). Indeed, we see the Son of God who, by resisting the snares of the ancient Adversary, shows us the new man, the free man, an epiphany of freedom realized by saying “yes” to God.

This new humanity is born from the baptismal font. And so, especially in this Lenten season, we are called to rediscover the grace of Baptism, as a source of life that dwells within us and that, in a dynamic way, accompanies us with the utmost respect for our freedom.

First, the Sacrament itself is dynamic, because what it offers is not confined to the space and time of the rite, but is a grace that constantly accompanies us throughout our lives, sustaining our following of Christ. But Baptism is also dynamic because it always sets us on the path anew, since grace is an inner voice that impels us to conform ourselves to Jesus, freeing our liberty so that it may find its fullness in love of God and neighbor.

We thus understand the relational nature of Baptism, which calls us to live in friendship with Jesus and, in this way, to enter into his communion with the Father. This grace-filled relationship enables us to also live in authentic closeness with others, a freedom that—unlike what the devil proposes to Jesus—is not a pursuit of personal power, but love that gives itself and makes us all brothers and sisters. In fact, Saint Paul affirms: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

Brothers and sisters, Pope Leo XIII asked Saint John Bosco to build the church we are in today right here. He had sensed the importance of this place, next to Termini Station and at a unique crossroads in the city, destined to become even more important over time.

Therefore, dear brothers, as I meet with you today, I see in you a special presence of closeness, of solidarity with the challenges of this territory. Indeed, it is home to many university students, travelers coming and going for work, immigrants seeking employment, and young refugees who, thanks to the Salesians’ initiative, have found in the neighboring building the opportunity to meet young Italians of their own age and participate in integration projects. And then there are our brothers and sisters who are homeless and find refuge in the Caritas centers on Via Marsala. Within a few short meters, one can witness the contradictions of our time: the carefree lives of those who arrive and leave with every comfort and those who are homeless; the many opportunities for good and the rampant violence; the desire for honest work and the illicit trade in drugs and prostitution.

Your parish is called to take responsibility for these realities, to be the leaven of the Gospel in the dough of the territory, to be a sign of closeness and charity. I thank the Salesians for the tireless work they do every day, and I encourage everyone to continue being here a small flame of light and hope.

May Mary Help of Christians always sustain our path, strengthen us in moments of temptation and trial, so that we may fully live the freedom and fraternity of the children of God.