At a Mass at the port of this northern Italian city, Pope Leo reflected on the first pope's answer to Jesus' question: Who do you say that I am?
“To embrace, bring together, welcome, free, forgive, and emancipate every person trapped by sin and its consequences” is a responsibility shared by all Christians, not just priests, the Pope said in his homily during Mass celebrated at the port of Rimini on the evening of August 22, 2026. About 25,000 people had gathered for the final event of the Pope’s pastoral visit to San Marino and Rimini.
Drawing on the readings from the liturgy for the following day — August 23, the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time — the Pope reflected on Christ’s question to his disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” (cf. Mt 16:13–20).
[Note: At time of publication, there is no official English translation from the Vatican of the Pope's homily.]
Leo XIV recalled that, in response to this question, Peter answered on behalf of all: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Today’s Christians, too, are called to renew this same profession of faith, for “in Peter’s words, we recognize the truth that fills us with joy and hope, and we find the path that leads to life .”
“It is in this light that we view Jesus’ gesture of handing the keys to Peter, for in the Church, at every level, authority is a service,” explains Leo XIV. “The pope, the bishops, the priests, and the deacons are called first and foremost to live out authority in this way, and the entire People of God must join in this effort, each according to their particular vocation,” the Pontiff elaborated.
“In the Church, in fact, the mission to ‘bind’ and ‘loose,’ while on the one hand concerning the role of those who, in the Lord’s name, are called to exercise authority, on the other hand describes a style and a task that pertain to every baptized person: to embrace, unite, welcome, liberate, forgive, and emancipate every person held captive by sin and its consequences,” the Pope explained.
He drew on Saint Paul, who, in the second reading, explains that God’s plans are unfathomable, “not because of the complexity of his reasoning, but because of the overwhelming immensity of his love, which surpasses all our capacities and all our expectations.”
This awareness of God’s love enables us to cultivate “values of honesty, generosity, and kindness.” These “are particularly dear to the people of Romagna — people who are forthright and cheerful by nature, hardworking and supportive,” the Pope said in honoring his hosts at the conclusion of the day’s visit.
The pitfalls of “entertainment” that scatters the soul
Referring to the “natural and artistic beauties of the Adriatic coast and the hinterland” that attract many tourists, the Pope warned against the “many forms of entertainment” that the world offers, but which “lead more to distraction and loss than to a true ‘return to oneself’” and “leave a void in the heart.”
“The most authentic place to find rest, where we can encounter God so that we may truly encounter one another, is not outside, in the chaos, but within ourselves, in the depths of the soul,” the Pope explained.
The Pope urged the faithful to preserve a sincere sense of hospitality, “both toward those seeking a well-deserved rest after a year of work and toward those who, wounded in body and spirit, seek refuge, food, and help far from their homeland.”
The Mass concluded the Pope's one-day pastoral visit to northeastern Italy, marked by a morning spent in the Republic of San Marino and an afternoon spent participating in the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples organized by the Communion and Liberation movement.
