Pope Leo’s Audience with the Executive Board of Catholic Charities USA, 04.05.2026
This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the executive board of Catholic Charities USA.
Catholic Charities USA is the national voluntary membership organization for Catholic Charities agencies throughout the United States and its territories.
It is also a member of Caritas Internationalis, an international federation of Catholic social service organizations.
Pope Leo’s address to the directors of Catholic Charities USA
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you.
Dear friends,
I am pleased to greet you, the members of the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities USA, during your visit to Rome and to the Vatican.
I pray that your time here, at the heart of the Universal Church, will not only strengthen your bonds with the Successor of Peter, but will also help you to draw nearer to the heart of Christ, in whose love we are all invited to share.
During this Easter season, we read the biblical accounts of the Resurrection and the Lord’s subsequent appearances to his apostles.
As the apostles and their fellow disciples began the task of evangelization, Jesus helped them. (Mark 16:20 – they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen) while assuring them, “Remember, I am with you always, even to the end of time” (Matthew 28:20).
As was the case with the apostles and the early church, proclaiming the gospel by caring for the poor and those in greatest need will always present difficulties on personal and institutional levels.
(Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7 – in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them.
7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith).
These include finding sufficient resources, demonstrating to others that this type of service is an integral part of authentic Christian living, and not giving way to discouragement, particularly when we meet those whom we cannot help in the way that we would like.
I am fully aware that the Catholic Charities agencies in the United States of America are by no means immune from these challenges that continue to manifest themselves in our own day.
Yet it is precisely when we are confronted with such obstacles that we must learn to hear Jesus’ voice saying to us once again, “I am with you always!”
Even today, Christ draws near to accompany his disciples, especially in moments of frustration and doubt, as he did with St. Thomas the Apostle, cf. John 20:24-29 – 24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.” 26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
and with the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35 –13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning 23 and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, 29 but they constrained him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, 34 who said, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread).
That is why I encourage you.
I support your noble efforts, and I am grateful for your commitment to continuing our Lord’s ministry of compassion, especially towards those most in need.
In doing so, you seek to find solutions to inhumane situations, to alleviate the suffering of individuals and families, and to relieve the burden of those who are weighed down by hardship and strife.
In all of these circumstances, it must be the charity of Christ that compels you in your daily work (2 Corinthians 5:14 – For the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died.).
In other words, the desire is to provide material aid to others with the love of Jesus’ heart.
It is in that love that they will find genuine rest, and their dignity will be respected.
In this sense, it is true that “love for our neighbor is tangible proof of the authenticity of our love for God” (Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te,26).
However, authentically loving our neighbor also entails offering them the possibility of a true encounter with God.
Your work with the less fortunate provides a privileged opportunity to share the joy of the Resurrection, and I thank you for bearing witness to your faith in this way.
The practical assistance you and your partner agencies provide to the disadvantaged allows them to experience God’s love through you, opening a path for them to enter into a lasting relationship with God.
At the same time, it enables you to come into contact with the flesh of Christ by seeking to see and serve him in our brothers and sisters (Matthew 25:31-46 – 31 “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. 34 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? 38 And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? 39 And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ 46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life”).
In this way, your charitable works become a mutual encounter with the Lord who is present among us.
Once again, the Lord has promised us: “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20).
The risen Lord comes to instill peace in our hearts, open paths of hope and new life, and assure us that he is truly “making all things new” (Revelations 21:5 – he who sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.”).
Let us therefore allow the hope of Easter to break into our lives and to guide our service, motivated by his promise.
With these sentiments, I offer my best wishes for your noble mission and assure you and your colleagues that you are in my prayers.
I entrust you all to the loving intercession of Mary Immaculate, patroness of the United States.
I willingly impart my apostolic blessing to all the agencies associated with Catholic Charities USA as a pledge of peace and joy in the risen Lord. Thank you.
