Overview
- Celebrating the Jubilee of Prisoners at St. Peter’s, Pope Leo XIV criticized overcrowded prisons and weak rehabilitation efforts, calling for mercy and reintegration.
- He invited governments to consider amnesties or pardons during the Jubilee, echoing Pope Francis’ earlier appeal tied to the tradition of remission in Holy Years.
- The Vatican reported roughly 6,000 registered participants from 90 countries, including wardens, chaplains, volunteers, and small groups of inmates granted special permission to attend.
- Citing rights advocates, coverage noted Italy’s prisons at about 135% capacity with more than 63,000 detainees and thousands of complaints of degrading treatment in the past year.
- In his homily and Angelus, Leo stressed that no person is defined solely by past actions, framed justice as reparation and reconciliation, and linked the Gospel to hope for those imprisoned.