‘The world becomes a better place if we sacrifice a little security and tranquillity in order to choose what is right,’ said Pope Leo XIV on Saturday, December 6, 2025, during the Jubilee audience held in St. Peter's Square. Before thousands of pilgrims gathered under a gentle winter sun, he reminded them that "no one saves the world alone" and urged Catholics to actively seek God in their daily lives.
He encouraged us to serve "without complaining," reminding that "the smile on our lips is a sign of the grace within us."
After a long tour of St. Peter's Square in the popemobile, the Pope began his teaching by referring to the liturgical season of Advent. This period, he emphasized, invites believers to "learn to recognize [Jesus] each time he comes and to prepare for his return."
"This waiting is not passive," Leo XIV insisted. He called on the faithful to seek God "in the realities of life, with intelligence, with the heart and by rolling up our sleeves."
This quest, he said, concerns "in particular the lay faithful, men and women, because the God who became incarnate comes to meet us in everyday situations."
Quoting the Second Vatican Council, he emphasized the central role of the laity in building the Kingdom – a theological concept that refers both to the present world in which God manifests himself and to the promise of eternal life.
Alberto Marvelli, witness to hope in action
To illustrate his point, the Pope gave the example of Blessed Alberto Marvelli (1918-1946), a young Italian engineer involved in Catholic Action.
"To hope is to participate, to serve the Kingdom of God brings joy even in the midst of great risks," he said, as he recounted his life.
During the Second World War, this young Italian devoted himself to the wounded, the sick and the displaced. At the end of the conflict, he was elected city councillor and worked on reconstruction before dying tragically at the age of 28. "The world becomes a better place if we lose a little security and tranquillity in order to choose the good," the Pope assured. The young man was beatified in 2004 by John Paul II.
A call to joyful commitment
Leo XIV invited each of the faithful to reflect on their own commitment: "Am I involved in a good initiative that puts my talents at the service of others?"
He encouraged us to serve "without complaining," reminding that "the smile on our lips is a sign of the grace within us."
Hope, he insisted, is not reduced to passive waiting, but is lived in joy and generosity, even in the face of challenges. "No one saves the world alone," the Pope concluded, recalling that God Himself chooses to act "with us."
Advent, a time of preparation and hope, is an invitation to unite to build a more just and fraternal world. "Together is better," he said, emphasizing that everyone's participation makes the promise of a world renewed by love more tangible.
The pontiff will preside over the last jubilee audience of the year on December 20. The jubilee audiences have been held on Saturdays, and are open to the public like the general audiences of Wednesdays.
On January 6, 2026, Leo will close the ‘holy door’ of St. Peter's Basilica, thus ending the Jubilee of 2025.
The next jubilee is an extraordinary one: 2033, when we will celebrate the 2,000th anniversary of the Resurrection.
