Pope Leo XIV on Sunday criticized prison overcrowding and limited rehabilitation programs as he celebrated a Mass for detainees, prison staff, and their families at the Vatican.
The event marked the final celebration of the Catholic Church’s 2025 Holy Year.
The Vatican said about 6,000 people registered for the weekend pilgrimage, including representatives from detention facilities worldwide. Officials organized the event to bring inmates, guards, and family members to Rome for religious services and meetings as part of Holy Year initiatives focusing on marginalized groups.
Church organizers coordinated transportation, pastoral activities, and access to the papal Mass and related ceremonies. The program included prayers, confessions, and liturgical events led by Vatican clergy and visiting chaplains.
Pope Leo XIV used his homily to highlight challenges in detention facilities, including overcrowding and insufficient rehabilitation opportunities, calling attention to conditions that affect inmates and prison personnel.