Angelus

With a huge and festive crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square, Pope Leo XIV led his first Sunday recitation of the "Regina Coeli" prayer and urged all Catholics to pray for vocations, especially to the priesthood and religious life.

With thousands of infirmed people and those who care for them gathered in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis, seated in a wheelchair and wearing a nasal cannula, made an unexpected appearance to greet the crowd.

The presentation of Jesus in the temple of Jerusalem shows that God's closeness to humanity is not confined to a place of worship but is manifested in his living among people, Pope Francis said.

"The horror of the extermination of millions of Jews and people of other faiths" before and during World War II "can neither be forgotten nor denied," Pope Francis said.

God responds to the shortcomings of the faithful with his superabundance, Pope Francis said.

When children are baptized, their parents and the church are giving them the greatest gift ever: the gift of faith, Pope Francis said before baptizing 21 infants in the Sistine Chapel.

God wants to save each and every person, and Christians are called to give witness to that fact by praying even for people who have harmed them, Pope Francis said.

Leading the recitation of the Angelus prayer from inside the chapel of his residence because of a cold, Pope Francis nevertheless blessed the baby Jesus figurines children and adults will put in their Nativity scenes -- and he brought one of his own as well.

As the Catholic Church and Christians at large experience intense persecution in Nicaragua, Pope Francis expressed encouragement and support to the people living under the country's authoritarian regime.

When receiving the Eucharist, Catholics should respond with gratitude and awe that Jesus offers himself as nourishment and salvation, Pope Francis said.