Saturday 19 September 2026 — Audience with Special Olympics · Letter to the bishops of Latin America · Conference on the "Land of Fires" continues in Acerra
🤝 Audience
Audience with the Italian Special Olympics delegation
📍 Clementine Hall, Vatican City
Pope Leo XIV receives in audience about 150 athletes, coaches and officials of the Italian Special Olympics delegation that took part in the Turin 2025 Winter World Games. In his address the Pope says he loves sport greatly and is convinced of its great formative value, "because it educates the person to noble and authentic values," recalling Pope Francis's words that sport "is one of those universal languages that overcomes cultural, social, religious and physical differences, and succeeds in uniting people." Doing sport, the Pope explains, means "committing seriously and with effort, then sharing the fruits of one's perseverance with loyalty, trust, openness, team spirit and courage," and Special Olympics athletes show this beauty in a truly special way. The Pope entrusts athletes, coaches and staff to the intercession of the Virgin Mary and of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young athlete who translated the values of sport into a generous and holy life.
Event detail →📷 Photos
Pope Leo XIV with the Special Olympics delegation, September 19, 2026 (© Vatican Media)
Audience with the athletes of the Special Olympics Turin 2025 Winter World Games (© Vatican Media)
📰 Articles
Vatican NewsOfficial
Leone XIV: gli sportivi mostrino al mondo che solo la condivisione porta alla pace
Coverage of the audience with the Italian Special Olympics athletes who took part in the Turin 2025 Winter World Games.
AgenSIRnews
Leone XIV: a Special Olympics, «mostrate la bellezza dello sport in modo veramente speciale»
Report on the audience with about 150 athletes, coaches and officials of the Italian Special Olympics delegation.
Sala Stampa della Santa SedeOfficial
Udienza del Santo Padre Leone XIV a una delegazione di "Special Olympics"
The official bulletin announcing the audience and linking to the text of the Pope's address.
📜 Speech text
Address to the Special Olympics delegation
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you! Good morning to you all. I am very pleased to meet you this morning and to share with you, at this moment, the joy of the sporting events you have experienced. As you know, I too am very fond of sport, and I am convinced of its great educational value...
📋 Daily schedule
19
Sep
On Saturday, September 19, no liturgical celebrations presided over by the Pope are scheduled. In the morning Pope Leo XIV holds a series of private audiences with Archbishop Filippo Iannone, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, Bishop Gjergj Meta of Rrëshen and President of the Albanian Bishops' Conference, the Apostolic Nuncios Archbishop Waldemar Stanisław Sommertag (Senegal, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania), Archbishop Luciano Suriani (Bulgaria and North Macedonia) and Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo (Haiti), and Bishop Emeritus of Mercedes (Uruguay) Carlos María Collazzi Irazábal. After Friday's Assembly of the Diocese of Rome, which officially opened the new pastoral year in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Pope thus continues the ordinary governance of the Church, ahead of Sunday's Angelus and his departure on September 25 for the apostolic journey to France.
19
Sep
The Pope's Letter to the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean is published on the occasion of the third centenary of the canonization of their patron St. Toribio of Mogrovejo, the "bishop of the Andes" and archbishop of Lima, to whom Leo XIV had already been especially close during his long episcopal ministry in Peru. Recalling St. Toribio's zeal for evangelization, his commitment to renewing ecclesial life and his closeness to the poorest and most vulnerable, the Pope warns bishops of the risk of abandoning the flock, which "can begin long before a visible flight, when comfort, fear or personal interests weigh more than the good of the faithful," and urges them to offer "clear, patient and grounded teaching" at a time when "so many voices claim authority over the conscience of the faithful." The Pontiff also calls for making Eucharistic worship a pastoral priority, because "no pastoral urgency or activity, however necessary, should relegate prayer to a secondary role compared to preaching."
📰 Articles
Vatican NewsOfficial
Il Papa: tante voci rivendicano autorità sui fedeli, i vescovi diano chiari insegnamenti
Presentation of the papal letter to the bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean for the 300th anniversary of the canonization of St. Toribio of Mogrovejo.
Sala Stampa della Santa SedeOfficial
Lettera Pontificia ai Vescovi dell'America Latina e dei Caraibi in occasione del 300° anniversario della canonizzazione di San Toribio di Mogrovejo
The official bulletin announcing the publication of the letter, dated September 8, 2026.
17:00
19
Sep
🔥 Land of Fires
Conference in Acerra on the fruits of the Pope's visit continues
📍 Cathedral of Acerra, Acerra (Naples)
As part of the three-day ecclesial event (September 18-20) organized by the local Church to build on Pope Leo XIV's teaching on the "Land of Fires" four months after his pastoral visit to Acerra (May 23, 2026), about 400 delegates gather at 5:00 pm in the Cathedral of Acerra for working groups and discussion sessions to apply the principles of Laudato si' to the Campania region. Cardinal Fabio Baggio, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development, who delivered the opening address on September 18, takes part in the proceedings. The Pope is not present at the initiative.
19
Sep
The bulletin issues a notice convening accredited journalists to a "Meeting Point" scheduled for Tuesday, September 22 at 11:00 a.m. in the Holy See Press Office, dedicated to presenting the 2026 Ratzinger Prize and the initiatives of the Vatican Joseph Ratzinger – Benedict XVI Foundation for the centenary of the birth of Pope Benedict XVI (April 16, 1927). Speakers include the Foundation's President, Rev. Prof. Roberto Regoli, and its Executive Secretary, Prof. Pierluca Azzaro.
🗓️ Upcoming events
2026-09-22
🏅 Meeting Point: presentation of the 2026 Ratzinger Prize
In the Holy See Press Office, presentation of the 2026 Ratzinger Prize and initiatives for the centenary of Pope Benedict XVI's birth, with Prof. Roberto Regoli and Prof. Pierluca Azzaro.
Go to page →2026-09-25
✈️ Departure for the apostolic journey to France
From September 25 to 28 the Pope visits Paris (Élysée Palace, UNESCO, Vespers at Notre-Dame), the vigil with young people at Saint-Denis, Lourdes and Metz (interreligious meeting and reflection on Europe's roots). Motto of the journey: "That the world may have life".
Go to page →2026-10-07
📖 Meeting for the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia
A meeting in the Vatican (October 7-14) convened by the Pope with the heads of the Eastern Churches, the presidents of Episcopal Conferences and some families.
Go to page →2026-10-08
🎓 Mass for the inauguration of the academic year of the Pontifical Universities
At 5:30 pm, in St. Peter's Basilica, the Pope presides over Holy Mass for the opening of the academic year of Rome's Pontifical Universities and Institutions.
Go to page →2026-10-13
🌱 Presentation of the "Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal" to Card. Czerny
At the Borgo Laudato si' in Castel Gandolfo, the Pope presents Cardinal Michael Czerny with the first sustainability medal named after him, established by Villanova University.
Go to page →2026-10-14
📖 Closing Mass of the meeting on the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia
The Pope presides over the Holy Mass closing the meeting held on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia.
Go to page →2026-10-27
🕊️ To Assisi for the 40th anniversary of the Spirit of Assisi
Interreligious meeting promoted by the Community of Sant'Egidio for the fortieth anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace initiated by John Paul II in 1986.
Go to page →2026-11-06
✈️ Departure for the apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru
From November 6 to 17 the Pope visits Montevideo, Buenos Aires and Lima, with a special stop in Chiclayo, his former diocese.
Go to page →🔗 Official sources