Pope: Dioceses should honor ‘saints next door’

Pope Francis delivers his blessing during his weekly general audience at Paul VI hall in the Vatican on January 24, 2024. —Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE /Agence France-Presse

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has called on churches around the world to commemorate their “saints next door” starting next year.

In a letter released by the Vatican in Italian on Saturday, the Pope established an annual commemoration of saints, blesseds, venerables, and servants of God in local dioceses worldwide, beginning Nov. 9 next year.

While the Pontiff chose this feast day for the yearly remembrance, he emphasized that he was not adding another liturgical celebration to the Church calendar.

The Catholic Church commemorates its saints and martyrs on All Saints’ Day every Nov. 1. Each saint also has his or her own feast day or memorial day.

Instead, the Pope called on bishops to promote appropriate initiatives outside the liturgy or recall these figures within it, such as during homilies.

Episcopal conferences, such as the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, may develop pastoral guidelines for implementing this commemoration.

“During the course of the liturgical year, the Church publicly honors the Saints and Blesseds, on preestablished dates and in predetermined ways. However, it seems important to me that all particular Churches commemorate the Saints and Blesseds on a single date, as well as the Venerables and Servants of God of their respective territories,” Pope Francis wrote.

No new memorial day

“It is not a matter of inserting a new memorial into the liturgical calendar but of promoting, with appropriate initiatives outside the liturgy, or of recalling within it, for example in the homily or at another time deemed appropriate, those figures who have characterized the local Christian path and spirituality,” he added.

The initiative aims to help Catholics around the world rediscover and maintain “the memory of extraordinary disciples of Christ who have left a living mark of the presence of the Risen Lord and who are still sure guides today in the common path towards God, protecting us and supporting us.”

Pope Francis signed the letter at the Lateran Palace on Nov. 9, 2024, the feast day of the basilica’s dedication.