Pope Leo calls for ‘merciful compassion’ for poor and victims of war

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for “merciful compassion” for the world’s poor and victims of tyranny and war, as he celebrated Mass at St. Thomas of Villanova parish church in Castel Gandolfo, a site spiritually tied to his Augustinian roots.

The pope, currently on summer vacation, has resumed the papal tradition of spending time at the estate south of Rome. The church where he presided is dedicated to a 16th-century Augustinian friar known for his deep concern for the poor. St. Thomas of Villanova, a Spanish theologian and teacher, is also the patron of Leo’s alma mater, Villanova University in the United States.

In his homily, Leo reflected on the parable of the Good Samaritan, urging believers to view others with empathy that leads to action.

“How we look at others is what counts, because it shows what is in our hearts,” he said. “We can look and walk by, or we can look and be moved with compassion.”

He especially highlighted the plight of those who are “stripped, robbed and pillaged,” describing them as victims of “tyrannical political systems, of an economy that forces them into poverty, and of wars that kill their dreams and their very lives.”

Since the beginning of his papacy, Leo has consistently drawn from the teachings of St. Augustine of Hippo, the 5th-century theologian whose writings underpin the Augustinian order.

The Rev. Tadeusz Rozmus, pastor of the parish, said the return of a pope to Castel Gandolfo after several years had filled the town with joy. “St. Thomas of Villanova was an Augustinian saint, and so with him [Leo] returns to the beginning of his history, of his spirituality,” Rozmus said.

Leo is spending two weeks in Castel Gandolfo this month but has already briefly returned to the Vatican to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, welcome religious superiors, and celebrate a special Mass focused on environmental care. He is expected to return to Castel Gandolfo in August.