(ANS – Roma) – On the First Sunday of Lent, 22 February 2026, and on the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Pope Leo XIV made a historic pastoral visit to the Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Via Marsala entrusted to the Salesians of Don Bosco. It was an event of profound ecclesial and spiritual significance, which saw the community gather around the Successor of Peter in an atmosphere of joy, communion and intense participation.
The Holy Father arrived in the parish courtyard at around 8.30 a.m., welcomed by the warm applause of the faithful and representatives of the various parish groups. From his very first words, the Pope recalled the meaning of the very name of the Basilica: the “Heart” of Jesus as a symbol of boundless, merciful and universal love. “It is the love of Jesus, it is his mercy that has brought us together this morning,” he said, emphasising how the variety of languages and backgrounds present is a concrete sign of unity and fraternity, a gift of the Spirit.
This was followed by the Eucharistic Celebration, the heart of the pastoral visit, presided over by the Holy Father and concelebrated, among others, by Cardinal Baldo Reina, Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome; Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, titular of the parish; Fr Fabio Attard, Rector Major of the Salesians; the parish priest Fr Javier Ortiz Rodriguez; together with other General Councillors, priests, confreres of the Generalate and pastoral collaborators.
Rediscovering the grace of Baptism
In the heart of his homily, Pope Leo XIV invited the faithful to live the Lenten season as a journey back to the sources of faith, rediscovering the grace of Baptism. Starting from a parallel between the story of Genesis and the Gospel of Jesus’ temptations, the Pontiff focused on the ‘drama of freedom’: the temptation, as old as man himself, to think that autonomy from God is a condition for one’s own happiness.
“Can I fulfil my life by saying “yes” to God? Or, to be free and happy, must I free myself from Him?” asked the Pope, pointing to Christ – who in the desert rejects the seductions of the evil one – as the face of the new man, the revelation of a freedom that is fulfilled in love and filial obedience to the Father.
Particularly significant was the presence of five catechumens, who will receive the Sacraments of Christian Initiation at the Easter Vigil. The Holy Father pointed to them as a sign of a new beginning for the whole community, recalling that Baptism is a dynamic grace that accompanies the whole of existence and enables authentic freedom: not domination or power, but self-giving, fraternity lived in Christ.
A presence of proximity in the heart of the city
Recalling the history of the Basilica – commissioned by Pope Leo XIII and entrusted to St John Bosco in a key location in the city, next to Termini Station – Pope Leo XIV highlighted the foresight of that choice, which is now more relevant than ever.
The neighbourhood is a crossroads of humanity, marked by a continuous flow of people and situations of great fragility. “In a few metres,” the Pope observed, “you can touch the contradictions of this time”: wealth and poverty, hope and violence, the desire for honest work and illicit trafficking.
In this context, the parish is called to be a true “Presidium of proximity,” a place where the Church becomes concrete closeness, listening and active charity. The Holy Father encouraged the community to be “Yeast of the Gospel in the dough of the territory,” a small but bright flame capable of bringing light and hope to the most fragile corners of the city.
The Parish Priest’s message: a home that welcomes and serves
After Communion, the parish priest, Fr Javier Ortiz Rodriguez, expressed the feelings of the parish community, thanking the Holy Father for his visit and presenting the concrete face of the basilica of the Sacred Heart.
The parish priest particularly emphasised the extraordinary presence of volunteers – young people and families – who care for children and the poor every day through catechesis, the Pastoral Listening Centre, the ‘Talent Bank’, the Youth Centre, the Italian School and the numerous charitable services run by church groups.
Referring to the parish’s location next to Termini Station, where around 500,000 people pass through every day and where there are incessant requests for help, he described the Basilica of the Sacred Heart as a true “Port of Land”: a place of refuge, listening and new beginnings for those who are lost, lonely or in need.
At the end of his greeting, an icon of the Sacred Heart was presented to the Holy Father. The work, created by the artist Silvia Allocco, was brought to the altar as a visible sign of the community’s devotion and affection for the Successor of Peter. Pope Leo XIV accepted the gift with gratitude, entrusting to the Heart of Christ the life of the parish and the daily commitment of those who work in this delicate and strategic corner of the city.
On this first Sunday of Lent, Pope Leo XIV’s visit to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Via Marsala will remain in the community’s memory as a time of grace and renewal. In the buzzling city of Rome, alongside places of transit and uncertainty, the Pope clearly pointed the way: rediscover the grace of Baptism, say “yes” to God every day and become, together, a “port of land” where the merciful love of Christ becomes a concrete welcome for all.
Fuente: ANS – “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana”