Pope Leo XIV responded to a Swiss catechist named Nunzia who expressed difficulty engaging families and youth in parish life. Nunzia, working in a small Swiss municipality, noted that children and families often prioritize sports and parties over religious practice. The Pope assured the catechist that time spent on catechesis is never wasted, regardless of immediate results. Pope Leo XIV contextualized her struggle, stating that similar challenges exist in many countries with long Christian traditions. The exchange appeared in the January edition of the Italian magazine, Piazza San Pietro, which focused on the theme of peace.
about 2 months ago
Pope Leo XIV responded to a letter from Nunzia, a 50-year-old Swiss catechist from Laufenburg, in the January 2026 edition of Piazza San Pietro magazine.1 2
This monthly feature, continued from Pope Francis's time, addresses reader concerns on faith and Church life.2
Nunzia described difficulties engaging families and youth in her parish of 620 residents.1
Parents and children prioritize sports and parties over religious practice, leaving churches mostly attended by the elderly.1 2
She contrasted this with vibrant Jubilee crowds in Rome, feeling her efforts yield few results despite a decade of work.2
The Pope affirmed that hours dedicated to catechesis are never wasted, even with few participants.1 2
He emphasized that numbers reflect deeper issues, like lacking a sense of belonging as living members of Christ's Body, rather than mere sacrament users.1 2
This challenge is common in countries with ancient Christian roots amid secularization.1 2
Leo XIV urged collective conversion in families and communities, with Christ's heart as the true door of faith.1 2
He encouraged witnessing the Gospel's joy of rebirth, drawing from Paul VI's legacy.1
Fidelity is measured by patient love, not crowds.2
The response highlights ongoing European secularization without resignation.2
It ties to recent events like the Jubilee's Holy Door closure, affirming grace continues.2
Pope's words support catechists facing similar discouragement worldwide.1 2
Pursuit of belonging outweighs numerical growth in Catholic communities
Catholic teaching consistently underscores that authentic growth in faith communities arises not primarily from numerical expansion but from fostering a profound sense of belonging rooted in Christ and the Church. This priority reflects the Church's understanding of herself as a living Body, where unity, fraternity, and spiritual rootedness enable members to bear fruit, rather than superficial increases that risk demotivation or isolation. Pope Leo XIV's recent addresses and apostolic exhortations, alongside earlier magisterial insights, affirm that belonging—nurtured through communion, shared faith, and ecclesial bonds—outweighs mere quantitative growth, as it aligns with God's design for human flourishing within the community of believers.
A recurring metaphor in papal teaching illustrates the peril of growth without roots: "When this sense of belonging is lacking, demotivation sets in: we then become like trees without roots. If instead it continues to receive vital sap, the tree can even be transplanted elsewhere and thus bear new fruit." This image, drawn from Pope Leo XIV's words to diplomatic staff in Apostolic Nunciatures, warns against detached expansion, emphasizing the need to "nurture... the bond with your own particular Church." Similarly, in addressing youth gathered before Košice Cathedral, the Pope highlights their gathering as "a tangible sign of the fraternity and peace... instilled in our hearts by friendship with Christ," calling them to be "witnesses of communion" rather than isolated enthusiasts. Numerical growth alone cannot sustain this; it is the shared experience of being "never alone, for as children we are always loved, forgiven and encouraged by God" that builds enduring communities.
Pope John Paul II echoed this in guidance to Philippine bishops, cautioning basic ecclesial communities against becoming "closed within themselves" or ensnared by ideologies, insisting they remain "firmly attached to the local Church... and to the universal Church." Such attachment prevents the "danger of becoming closed" and ensures communities reflect the early Christians' model in Acts, fostering "deeper, more fraternal and more practical witness." Without this belonging, even large groups risk elitism, neglecting "the sinner, of those who doubt or need encouragement."
The Dicastery for Communication's reflections on social media engagement reinforce that effective witness emerges from communal action, not isolated efforts: "a message is more easily persuasive when the one who communicates it belongs to a community. There is an urgent need to act not merely as individuals, but as communities." Capricious individual initiatives, even if they swell numbers, fail to reflect "the overall goal and outlook of the Church community," undermining synergy as "members of one another." This communal style revives Saint Paul's image of the Body, where "joints... enable the members... to act in synergy" (Col 2:19).
In migrant ministry, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development calls for an "inclusive Church" where all exercise "active citizenship," preserving differences that "enrich the community, on the model of the richness of Trinity." Parishes must evolve into "a Church on the move, always open to welcome others," prioritizing integration over assimilation to form a "unique 'we' as full members." Here, verbs like "welcome, protect, promote and integrate" guide action, building cities open to differences in "human fraternity," not mere headcounts.
Pope Leo XIV's messages extend this to ecumenism and persecuted Churches. To ecumenical participants in Stockholm, he invokes the Holy Spirit to "deepen your fellowship... and awaken fresh hope for the unity which the Lord so ardently desires." For Aid to the Church in Need, he stresses the Body of Christ: "If one member suffers, all suffer together" (1 Cor 12:26), defending religious freedom as essential for communities to "seek the truth... and bear witness to it openly." Isolated growth erodes this; belonging sustains it amid "hostility and violence."
Even in cultural dialogues, as with indigenous peoples, surrender to God allows cultures to "blossom... pruning them so that they bear more fruit" (Jn 15:2), enriching the Church's "magnificent choir." This "parrhesia"—bold proclamation—arises from communal praise, not solitary efforts.
Pope Leo XIV's Dilexi te on love for the poor culminates this vision: "Christian love breaks down every barrier... unites strangers, and reconciles enemies... A Church that sets no limits to love... is the Church that the world needs today." Gestures of affection, like the woman's anointing (Mt 26:6-13), endure because they root the poor in Christ's love: "I have loved you" (Rev 3:9). Numerical focus misses this prophetic depth, where love "makes what was apparently impossible happen."
The International Theological Commission's Religious Freedom for the Good of All adds that freedom thrives in "human relationships," where communities precede and integrate the individual, countering "alienation fed by fear and individualism." No one is "an island"; belonging educates freedom for the common good.
In Catholic communities, the pursuit of belonging decisively outweighs numerical growth, as it mirrors Christ's unifying love and the Church's communal nature. Rooted in sacraments, Word, and fraternity, true vitality emerges when members are not mere additions but living branches drawing sap from the ecclesial vine. This demands intentional nurturing of bonds, welcoming the diverse, and witnessing unity amid division—yielding fruit that endures.