🕛 VATICAN REPORT | Wednesday 21 October 2026 midday

⛪ First General Audience since surgery At 10 a.m. in St Peter's Square, Pope Leo XIV held the General Audience, his first since the 13 October surgery at the Gemelli. He toured the square in the popemobile among thousands of pilgrims, despite the rain, stopping to bless children and greet the crowd. Opening the catechesis he said: "The first thing I would like to say is thank you! Thank you for the support of your prayers. Thanks be to God for His generosity. Let us all renew our trust in God's goodness and mercy" (our translation). 📖 Family and conceived life In his catechesis, continuing the series on Vatican II's Gaudium et spes, the Pope called the family "a school of deeper humanity" and "the foundation of society", and said the duty to work for the welfare of marriage and the family "is more urgent than ever before". Quoting the Council: "from the moment of its conception life must be guarded with the greatest care", renouncing "abortion and infanticide"; children are "the supreme gift of marriage", and human life "must never be rejected" (our translation). He entrusted the world's families to the Holy Family of Nazareth. In his greetings he recalled Saturday's beatification in Ibiza of Juan Torres Torres and 19 companions, priests killed out of hatred for the faith: "Their witness encourages us to make our lives an offering of love to God and to our brothers and sisters" (our translation). ✝️ "Holiness in History" In the Apostolic Palace the Pope received participants in the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints conference, on its closing day. In the address released by the Holy See Press Office: even "recent causes" require "a serious and rigorous review" of the material gathered; and "the history of the world without the saints would be immensely poorer, that is, less human" (our translation). 👤 Appointment 👤 Leandro Machado Silvestre 📍 Bishop of Guajará-Mirim ↩️ Priest of the Diocese of Mogi das Cruzes, until now a fidei donum priest in the Archdiocese of Porto Velho, vicar general and parish priest of São Cristovão 🌍 Diocese of Guajará-Mirim (Brazil) 📌 To watch • The outcome of the histological examination, not yet announced by the Holy See Press Office • Any further updates on the Pope's recovery after his first public Audience since surgery