At his Aug. 12 general audience, Pope Leo XIV said Catholics should gather physically for Sunday Mass and urged conditions that let workers attend.
Calling Sunday the “foundation and kernel” of the liturgical year, he said sanctifying it requires celebrating the Eucharist, with Easter at the center of Christian time.
He said a liturgical assembly cannot be replaced by solely virtual participation or reduced to passive حضور, stressing the faithful’s active role in worship.
Addressing Spanish-speaking pilgrims, Leo also prayed for victims of the Aug. 10 western Colombia earthquake, which killed hundreds as rescue efforts continued.