Faith

Pope Leo XIV urges Sisters of Charity to care for body and soul alike

Vatican City • October 26, 2026 • By Press Pass USA

Editorial illustration: Pope Leo XIV greeting religious sisters in a Vatican hall

Editorial illustration — Press Pass USA

Pope Leo XIV told the Sisters of Charity of St. Jeanne-Antide Thouret on Monday that Christian charity must care for the whole person — body as well as soul — in a society he said tends to fragment people, dividing them from one another and within themselves.

The pope met participants in the congregation's General Chapter, the gathering at which a religious community discerns its governance and future mission. He greeted Sister Maria Rosa Muscarella, recently re-elected to a second five-year term as superior general, and congratulated her and her council.

“The fruits of your listening to God and to one another are the most beautiful gift you bring me today,” Leo said, comparing those fruits to a basket of firstfruits offered to the Lord. He praised the chapter's theme, “In Christ, the roots; in the world, the mission,” and urged the sisters to keep Christ at the center of their lives, hearts and thoughts.

Leo also reflected on the legacy of St. Jeanne-Antide Thouret, the congregation's founder, noting her deep love and respect for the Successor of Peter even during periods marked by painful misunderstandings. He urged the sisters to treasure, nurture and spread the founder's attention to “the integral good, spiritual and temporal, of one's neighbor.”

“In this regard, I would like to emphasize another important aspect of the charismatic legacy left to you by your saintly Foundress: to pay attention to the integral good, spiritual and temporal, of one's neighbor,” he said. “I mention this because, in a society such as ours, which tends to fragment the person, dividing people not only from one another but also, and more gravely, within themselves, this dimension of charity is fundamental for the restoration, promotion and authentic respect for the dignity of every person, especially the poorest and most in need.” The congregation, founded after the French Revolution and dedicated to serving the poor, is marking the 200th anniversary of Thouret's death this year, the National Catholic Register noted.

Sources: National Catholic Register (Oct 26, 2026); Gaudium Press (Oct 26, 2026); Address of Pope Leo XIV to the General Chapter, via Catholic News World (Oct 26, 2026).