This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the members of the Edith-Wagner-Haberland-Foundation and Augustiner Brewery, to whom he delivered the following address:

Address of the Holy Father

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you!

Your Eminence,
Dear brothers and sisters,

I am pleased to greet all of you on your pilgrimage to Rome.  In particular, I express my gratitude for your decision to honor the anniversary of my election to the See of the Apostle Peter in this way, and for your prayerful support for my ministry.

You have kindly presented – or you will present - some of the products from the brewery in Munich, which I am happy to say I visited.  This thoughtful gesture of closeness, for which I am grateful, gives me the opportunity to offer two points for reflection.  The first is your connection to the Augustinian Order, which naturally has had a very significant impact on my own life.  As I have already had occasion to say, Saint Augustine “reminds us that we all have God given gifts and talents, and our purpose, fulfilment and joy comes from offering them back in loving service to God and in service to our neighbour” (Video-message to the Augustinian Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova, 29 August 2025).  It is my hope, then, that your pilgrimage will not only strengthen you in faith, but inspire you to continue serving your brothers and sisters, especially those most in need.

The second point comes from the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ – on the care for our common home – written, as you know, by Pope Francis, whose first anniversary of death we recently commemorated.  In that important document, he spoke eloquently about the God-given grandeur of the whole of creation, which includes both animals as well as the food and drink that sustain us.  He emphasized that each element and creature is a reflection of God’s boundless love, and that “everything is, as it were, a caress of God.” (No. 84)  This insight calls us to the great responsibility not only to care for creation but to ensure that its resources are always used wisely and with an eye to justice, which is a prerequisite for peace.  As you return home, I therefore encourage you to continue playing your part in promoting a just and effective approach to caring for creation, both professionally and personally, for the sake of the common good.

With these brief yet heartfelt thoughts, I entrust you and your families to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, and I gladly impart my blessing.