Overview
- At his final General Audience of the year, Pope Leo urged the faithful to give thanks for the past, seek forgiveness, and entrust the future to God's mercy.
- He acknowledged a year of contrasts, recalling the influx of Jubilee pilgrims alongside the death of Pope Francis and continuing wars.
- He said he would mark New Year's Eve with the traditional Te Deum, presenting it as praise for God's gifts and a plea for mercy and hope.
- He highlighted countless journeys to the Tomb of Peter and the passage through the Holy Door as gestures that express a renewed 'yes' to God and a life shaped by love of neighbor.
- At evening vespers, he condemned 'armed' strategies cloaked in ideology or false religious motives and pointed to Mary's humility as a sign of God's merciful design.