Today, April 2, 2026, Holy Thursday, Pope Leo XIV presided for the first time as Bishop of Rome over the Chrism Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, beginning the Easter Triduum. In his homily, the Holy Father reflected on the Christian mission, which is “the same as Jesus’, and no other,” in which each person participates according to their vocation and in personal obedience to the Holy Spirit, “but never without others, never neglecting or breaking communion.”

Addressing bishops and priests who were renewing their priestly vows, Leo XIV reminded them that they are called to the service of a missionary people. He then outlined the three secrets of the Christian mission: detachment, encounter, and rejection.

First secret: detachment

The Pope explained that every mission begins with a self-emptying, leaving behind what is familiar and secure. He used Jesus as an example, who, after his baptism, left Nazareth—the place of his childhood and security—to begin his mission. “Every mission begins with this kind of self-emptying in which everything is reborn,” he affirmed. “Our dignity as sons and daughters of God cannot be taken from us, but neither can the affections, places, and experiences that are at the origin of our lives be erased.”

According to Leo XIV, the mission begins with reconciliation with our origins: “There is no peace without the courage to leave, no conscience without the audacity of detachment, and no joy without taking risks.” “Everything is recovered and multiplied if one first lets go, without fear. This is the first secret of the mission. And it is not experienced just once, but at every new beginning.”

Second secret: the encounter

After detachment comes “the law of encounter.” The Pope warned that throughout history the mission has sometimes been distorted by “logics of domination” foreign to Jesus Christ, and he recalled that “neither in the pastoral sphere, nor in the social and political sphere, can good come from arrogance.”

“Great missionaries are witnesses of careful approaches, whose method consists of sharing life, selfless service, renunciation of any calculating strategy, dialogue and respect,” he stressed.

In this sense, he proposed a humble evangelization: “It is necessary to arrive with simplicity to the place to which we are sent, honoring the mystery that each person and each community carries within itself: a sacredness that transcends us everywhere and that is violated when we behave as owners of places and of other people’s lives.”

“ We are all guests ,” the Pope insisted, “bishops, priests, religious, and all Christians. To welcome others, we must learn to be welcomed. Even places where secularization seems most advanced are not lands to be conquered or reconquered; mission is not a heroic adventure for one person, but the living witness of a Body with many members.”

Third secret: rejection

The third dimension, “perhaps the most radical,” is the possibility of misunderstanding and rejection. The Pope cited the episode in which the enraged inhabitants of Nazareth tried to throw Jesus off a cliff, but he, “passing through their midst, continued on his way.” “The cross is part of the mission,” he reminded them.

Faced with situations where it seems that everything is over and one wonders if the mission has been useless, Leo XIV cited the example of Saint Oscar Arnulfo Romero, who fully trusted that God accompanied his life and his death, and Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, who faced his fears with faith and prayer.

Conclusion of the homily

In this “dark hour of history,” the Pope called for a renewed “yes” to the mission: “God has chosen to send us to spread the fragrance of Christ where the stench of death reigns. Let us renew our ‘yes’ to this mission that calls for unity and brings peace. Yes, here we are! Let us overcome feelings of powerlessness and fear! We proclaim your death, Lord, we profess your resurrection, as we await your coming.”