Pope Leo XIV called Thanksgiving a “beautiful feast” that unites believers and non-believers alike as he issued a message of thanks ahead of the U.S. holiday.
Leo said he was thankful for many things Tuesday and urged everyone to recognize the gifts they have been given.
"First and foremost, the gift of life. The gift of the faith. The gift of unity," he said.
He was responding to reporters' questions Tuesday night as he left Castel Gandolfo, where he goes on Mondays and Tuesdays for a rest and to play tennis.
He described Thanksgiving as “this beautiful feast that we have in the United States, which unites all people — people of different faiths, people who perhaps do not have the gift of faith” to say thank you to someone.
Leo will spend his first Thanksgiving as pope in Turkey on his first foreign trip.
His remarks came hours after the Vatican has issued a new decree, approved by Pope Leo, warning against polygamy.
It reaffirmed the church’s stance that Catholics should commit to one spouse for life.
The Holy See’s top doctrinal office told the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics Tuesday that a singular commitment is paramount, explicitly discouraging multiple sexual relationships.
The decree specifically criticized the practice of polygamy, including among its own members in Africa. It reiterated the Vatican’s belief that marriage is a lifelong commitment between one man and one woman.
