«Promoting authentic progress through tangible initiatives such as those supported by the Foundation is a sure way to encourage harmony between communities and individuals». Leo Here is our English translation of his speech.
In the name of the Father and the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you.
Excellencies,
Dear brothers and sisters,
I extend a cordial welcome to all of you, especially the members, board members and administrators of the Papal Foundation, and I offer my prayerful good wishes for your pilgrimage to Rome. Although this is the first occasion on which we have met since I was called to assume the role of Bishop of Rome and Pope, I had already become aware of your work, especially during the years of my service as Bishop of Chiclayo, where I personally saw the positive impact of the Foundation’s donations, as both the diocese and a religious community were blessed to receive assistance for several projects thanks to your generosity. In just this first year of my pontificate, I have found it edifying to see the global reach of the Foundation. I am therefore deeply grateful for your constant commitment to assist the Successor of Peter in his mission to care for the needs of the universal Church. In this regard, I was pleased to learn that the number of Foundation members continues to grow each year and that you have expressed a willingness to increase the support offered as well as find new ways to help.
Your visit takes place during the Easter season, a time focused on mission as well as peace. After the Resurrection, Jesus entrusted the apostles with the task of being his messengers, promising to accompany them in their work and promising to be with them always (see Mc 16, 20; Mt 28, 20). The Pope and the bishops, as successors of the apostles, continue this commitment through preaching and evangelization works. But all members of the Church, by virtue of their Baptism, share the responsibility to proclaim the Gospel today through words as well as through acts of charity. As St. James wrote to the early Christian community, faith without works is dead and has no power to save (cf. Gc 2, 17), and the Gospels teach us that the Lord expects his disciples to take care of the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable (cf. Mt 25, 31-46).
By funding projects, humanitarian assistance and scholarships for people around the world, the Papal Foundation participates in the ongoing evangelical mission of the Church. Your generosity has allowed countless people to experience God’s goodness and kindness in a concrete way in their communities. Many priests and consecrated men and women have also been able to receive a higher education that would otherwise have been impossible from the Pontifical Universities in Rome, thus being trained to be future leaders in the Church. You will probably never get to meet all those who have benefited from your kindness, so on their behalf I express deep appreciation.
One of those who received a scholarship from you, however, is sitting next to me (edMonsignor Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga, private secretary of the Holy Father) and I am sure he will gladly say “thank you”.
On Easter Sunday the risen Lord greeted his apostles by saying “Peace be with you!” (John 20, 19), and even today Christ wants his disciples to be instruments of peace. In addition to promoting the evangelical mission of the Church, the Foundation’s commitment also helps foster peace at the regional and local level. Saint Paul VI wrote that the new name for peace is development (see encyclical letter Populorum Progression. 87). By this he meant that true harmony is not simply the absence of conflict, but derives from the promotion of authentic integral human development (see Ibidn. 76). Promoting genuine progress through tangible initiatives like those supported by the Foundation is a sure way to encourage harmony between communities and individuals.
Dear brothers and sisters, with these sentiments I thank you for your presence here today, as well as for everything you do to promote the laudable mission of the Papal Foundation. I ask for your constant prayers for my ministry as Successor of Saint Peter and for the needs of the Church. In entrusting you and your loved ones to the loving intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, I willingly impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of joy in Christ our risen Lord.
Thank you.
144 projects in 75 countries
A dormitory in Tanzania to save girls from early marriage, trafficking and sexual abuse and to prevent boys from dropping out of school; a school for children belonging to marginalized tribes in India; a library and technology hub in the Central African Republic; a professional IT training course for vulnerable women in the Philippines and water tanks in Guinea. These are just some of the initiatives that the Papal Foundation has decided to subsidize for 2026.
The American charitable organization, which held its annual pilgrimage to Rome from April 29 to May 2, has as president of the board of directors Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop emeritus of New York.
The grants – we read in a statement – exceeded 15 million dollars to support over 144 projects in 75 countries, indicated by the Holy See. Other planned interventions include the construction and renovation of Catholic schools, classrooms, monasteries, orphanages and medical clinics. «Supporting these grants that change people’s lives – says Ward Fitzgerald, president of the Papal Foundation – is the core of our mission. The impact we have on the poor and most vulnerable is the gift that our organization gives to the Church and the gift that the Catholic Church gives to its faithful around the world.”
“Each project – we read in the press release – represents hope, responding to urgent needs and strengthening the determination of the Catholic Church community in developing countries”.
For the president, the grants are the result of faithful administration, of careful review and approval of the requests presented by the Vatican in 2025. In this context, the constant growth of members within the Papal Foundation must be underlined: since the election of Leo XIV, in fact, another 25 members have been added. It is “a strong impetus and an increasingly profound commitment among Catholics committed to supporting the mission of the Holy Father at the service of the poor”.
Since its inception 38 years ago, the Papal Foundation has distributed more than $270 million in grants, scholarships and humanitarian aid to more than 2,700 projects selected by Popes Leo XIV, Francis, Benedict XVI and Saint John Paul II.
