Christian World | Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica for seven cardinals and 136 bishops who died this past year, saying prayer for the dead celebrates life

ACW | November 5, 2026 — Pope Leo XIV said on Thursday in St. Peter's Basilica that "to pray for the repose of the dead is to celebrate life," according to the official text of his homily.

The Mass was offered for seven cardinals and 136 bishops who died between October 2025 and the end of October 2026, Vatican News, the Holy See's official news service, reported. Several cardinals and bishops attended.

Leo opened his homily with the words of St. Monica: "One thing only I ask of you, that you remember me at the altar of the Lord, wherever you may be."

Prayer for the dead rests on the promise that "our life, in Christ, is not lost, because it has been redeemed," the pope said. He said the Church has practised it "from her earliest beginnings as one of her fundamental duties."

"Let us not, therefore, allow the remembrance of the dead to become mere nostalgia," Leo said. He urged the faithful to contemplate death "without fear," saying death does not dissolve our bonds but "transfigures them into a new dimension."

Background: On Monday, All Souls' Day, the pope said at Rome's Verano Cemetery that the bond with the dead is not broken; read ACW's report.

Why it matters: According to the official homily text, the Catholic Church has treated prayer for the dead as one of its fundamental duties since its beginnings; Thursday's Mass honoured seven cardinals and 136 bishops who died in the past year, Vatican News said.

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Sources: Holy See — Homily at the Mass for deceased cardinals and bishops; Vatican News — Pope Leo recalls how in Christ life has been redeemed

Photo: Vatican Media