On this day, April 21, exactly 2,776 years ago, Rome was founded.
Today, as we mark this historic anniversary, we also mourn the passing of the Pope. A steadfast figure of faith, he remained with the faithful until the very end, making a public appearance just yesterday, despite ongoing speculation about his possible resignation. His leadership served as a point of stability in a world often shaken by war, uncertainty, and upheaval.
The Pope was granted the grace to witness one last Easter. His death, coming just one day after Easter, symbolically marks the end of an era, and the beginning of another. Yesterday, in one of his final acts, he met with JD Vance, a Catholic convert.
In this transitional moment, signs of renewal within the Catholic Church are beginning to emerge. In deeply secular nations like France, more than 18,000 people were baptized during the Easter Vigil. In historically Protestant countries such as England, Catholicism is experiencing a quiet resurgence, driven largely by the younger generation, the "Zoomers", and is poised to surpass Anglicanism in numbers. The faith continues to grow dynamically in Africa and Asia, while showing signs of stability in the United States.
As the Church prepares to choose its next pope, the task ahead is both immense and urgent: to carry forward meaningful reforms and offer a vision rooted in tradition but open to the modern world, bridging past and future with wisdom, humility, and courage.
Because in every collapse, a foundation is laid. And in endings, there is space for renewal.
