100th WORLD MISSION SUNDAY - Pope Leo XIV: May the Church always remain faithful to the mandate of the Risen Lord

Vatican City (Fides News Agency) – “Today we celebrate the 100th World Mission Day. Let us think of how much missionary history has unfolded over these one hundred years!” With these few words, spoken from the window of his study in the Apostolic Palace, Pope Leo XIV invited everyone to give thanks for the gift of selfless generosity embodied in the work of missionaries throughout the Catholic Church’s journey over the past century.
He spoke after reciting the Angelus, addressing first and foremost the large crowd gathered in St Peter’s Square, who welcomed him with joy and enthusiasm, delighted to see and hear him looking well on the road to recovery, with a strong voice and a calm, smiling expression, following his hospital stay at the Gemelli University Hospital, where he underwent surgery to remove a lung tumour.

Referring to the centenary of World Mission Sunday, established by Pope Pius XI in 1926, an anniversary particularly dear to all those involved in the Church’s missionary work, the Bishop of Rome quoted a verse from the Gospel according to Mark and invited the faithful to pray “that the Church may always remain faithful to the mandate of the Risen Lord: ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation’.”
He then expressed his gratitude to “all those who have prayed for me in recent days”, and expressed in particular gratitude to “the doctors, nurses and all the staff of the Gemelli Hospital”. “This experience,” Pope Prevost added, “has made me feel particularly close to all those who are living with illness or infirmity.” He added, “Now that I have overcome this delicate phase, as you know, I will gradually resume my activities, always with God’s help and your prayers.”

Plenary indulgence for those who pray for the spread of the Gospel throughout the world

On the occasion of the centenary of the establishment of World Mission Sunday, the Apostolic Penitentiary has granted a plenary indulgence “to the faithful who fulfil the prescribed work and pray for the spread of the Gospel throughout the world”. This grace “may also be applied as a suffrage for the souls of the faithful departed”.
To obtain the plenary indulgence, in addition to praying the Rosary for the spread of the Gospel throughout the world, the faithful must fulfil the following conditions: sacramental Confession, Eucharistic Communion: Receiving Holy Communion and prayer for the Holy Father's intentions, for example, praying one Our Father and one Hail Mary.

The Missionary Rosary at CIAM

On Saturday afternoon, on the eve of the 100th World Mission Sunday, as Leo XIV was being discharged from Gemelli Hospital, prayers for the Church’s mission throughout the world and for the recovery of the Successor of Peter were brought together during the International Missionary Rosary organized by the Pontifical Mission Societies.
The prayer gathering took place on the terrace of the International Centre for Missionary Animation (CIAM), within the campus of the Pontifical Urbaniana University, overlooking St Peter’s Square.

The Rosary was led by Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the missionary Dicastery. At the beginning of the communal prayer, he invited those present to pray “for the Holy Father, the missionary who became Pope, entrusting his health to the Lord during this period of convalescence”.
The Cardinal also called for prayers for the missionaries of our time engaged in ad gentes mission. Quoting a passage from Leo XIV’s message for the 100th World Mission Sunday, Cardinal Tagle recalled that even today missionaries, “like Saint Francis Xavier, they have left their homeland, their families and all sense of security in order to proclaim the Gospel and bring Christ and his love to places that are often challenging, poor, conflict-ridden or culturally distant”.

The Rosary was accompanied by readings from the New Testament and from documents and speeches reflecting the missionary Magisterium of Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV.

The five decades of Hail Mary were recited while meditating on the Glorious Mysteries, in several languages, including Swahili, Albanian, Tagalog and Pidgin of Papua New Guinea.

Before the Rosary, a message was also read from Sr Mary Teresa Barron, who was appointed on 8 October as Adjunct Secretary of the missionary Dicastery, with the office of president of the Pontifical Mission Societies.
In her message, Sr Mary Teresa Barron emphasized that this year’s World Mission Sunday motto, “One in Christ, United in Mission”, “reminds us that mission is the beating heart of the Church and the vocation of every baptized person.
“In communion with Pope Leo XIV, whom we accompany with our prayers, and with the missionaries on every continent who bear witness to the Gospel with courage and dedication, we raise our supplication today for the universal Church. As we contemplate the Glorious Mysteries,” the Adjunct Secretary of the missionary Dicastery continued, “we ask the Holy Spirit to renew in us our apostolic zeal and our ability to build bridges, to listen, to serve and to proclaim, through our lives, the faithfulness of God’s love.”
(Fides News Agency, 18/10/2026)

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