Pope Leo XIV on May 30 emphasized to Catholic lay leaders that, in a world increasingly divided by war and polarization, shared humanity can help unify it.
During a private audience at the Vatican with the members of the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation, Leo in his remarks referenced his recent encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, explaining that current challenges prompt fundamental questions about life.
“Indeed, it is precisely when faced with adverse circumstances that the human person is called to reconsider the fundamental questions that have gently prodded the heart of countless generations to more serious reflection: ‘Where are we going? Toward what goal do we wish to orient ourselves? What direction should we choose as a people and as a human community?'” Leo said.
These questions, the pope said, clearly indicate humanityʼs common pursuit of truth.
“Such questions are a clear manifestation of humanity’s search for truth, and give rise to a desire for something more, a thirst for God and lasting meaning,” Leo said in his remarks.
“They also bear witness to the essential aspects of our humanity: the God-given gifts of reason and freedom by which we may come to know the truth and adhere to what is good.”
Also referencing his predecessor, St. John Paul II, who founded the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation in 1993 to promote Catholic social teaching, Leo explained that while the modern concept of freedom “is often understood as the capacity to do what one wants,” true freedom is lived “as a “gift of self and openness to others.”
He also referred to Saint Augustine in his address, using Augustineʼs concept of the two cities.
“The City of Man, built on pride and love of oneself, is marked by selfish individualism,” Leo said. “The City of God, built on love of God unto selflessness, and the cultivation of relationships, is what makes it truly possible to build a civilization of love.”
He also reminded those present not to despair at the current state of the world, but engage in “small and steadfast acts of fidelity that serve as a bulwark against dehumanization”.
