The Parable of the Workers Hired in the Vineyard, Explained by the Pope

Pope Leo XIV reflected on the parable of the workers hired in the vineyard during his Angelus address at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, September 20, 2026. Speaking to thousands of pilgrims from his window, the Pope used the Gospel story to describe how people often resist God's generous justice and love.

Leo XIV noted that while the landowner in the parable paid the first workers the agreed amount, he also chose to treat those hired last with the same goodness. The Pope explained that the parable reveals the difference between human thinking and God's plans, which he described as being more merciful and greater than what people can conceive. He also referenced the prophet Isaiah to encourage people to abandon their own ways and return to a God defined by mercy and forgiveness.