February 2, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, is also the 30th World Day for Consecrated Life, a commemoration instituted by Pope St. John Paul II in 1997.

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica this evening (booklet, video) and called upon consecrated men and women “to be prophets—messengers who announce the presence of the Lord and prepare the way for him.”

The superior general of the Society of Saint Pius X announced today that the Society’s bishops will consecrate new bishops on July 1.

“We cannot support legislation that expands or sustains enforcement practices without adequately addressing their consequences for families and communities,” the bishops and other signatories said. A budget “that prioritizes detention and removal—while lacking strong safeguards for family unity, due process, and accountability—risks entrenching harm rather than promoting justice or public safety.”

“In these hours, when your souls are afflicted not only by suffering, but also by incomprehension and the feeling of abandonment, I can only entrust you to the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, who holds you close to her heart and invites you to look with her to the Cross, one which her beloved Jesus also suffered and gave his life,” Pope Leo said in his message, dated January 28 and released on February 1.

“On the Cross, the Son of God—God in person—wished to share in what you are experiencing today,” the Pope added. “He will also share with you his glorious and blessed resurrection. For Jesus is truly risen!”

The Pontiff previously mourned the loss of life in the fire and met with families of the victims.

The Vatican newspaper lamented conditions in Myanmar, five years after a coup d’état brought to an end a decade of democratic rule in the Southeast Asian nation.