Leo XIV at the Angelus: Love requires detachment, loss and acceptance

The Pope addressed 20,000 people in St Peter’s Square this morning, despite the heat. Following Jesus is not “some outward act”, but “a loving relationship with Him” which “is expressed through welcoming our brothers and sisters”. He expressed his solidarity with the people of Venezuela affected by the earthquakes.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Before the Angelus, Leo XIV – addressing the crowd from the Apostolic Palace, in front of 20,000 faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square despite the heat – commented on the Gospel of the day (Mt 10:37–42), which contains some of Jesus’ exhortations “on how to follow him and bear witness to his Kingdom”. “This is not a matter of some outward act, but of committing our whole selves to a loving relationship with Him,” said the Pope. In order to bear fruit, love requires three things: “detachment”, “loss” and “acceptance”.

On the subject of detachment, the Pope clarified that “it is true for everyone that even the most important affections find their fulfilment thanks to the love that Christ gives us”. The example he gave was that of married life: to lead and live it to the full, it is necessary to leave “one’s parents’ home” in order to devote oneself to the marital relationship. This morning, Pope Leo XIV also spoke about sons and daughters: “We help them to fulfil themselves and be happy by teaching them to ‘stand on their own two feet’”.

“Love is also loss”. Quoting Saint Augustine, who speaks of the “painful” separation from what one loves – like the farmer who temporarily loses what he sows – the Pope said: “Only by ‘losing’ that seed, sown in the ground, will he be able to see it blossom.” Love as loss is “difficult” to understand, “especially in a world where losing seems to be a weakness and people are obsessed with having and possessing”. But it is precisely in “giving of oneself” that love bears fruit.

“When we are willing to lose a little of our own self to make room for another, to lose a little time to listen to a friend, to lose a little comfort to share in a situation of hardship. Whoever keeps life only for themselves – says the Gospel – actually loses it, because it does not open itself to the joy of love and becomes barren”.

Finally, love is also about welcoming others. “It is expressed in concrete choices and actions, in a commitment made up of small daily gestures, such as offering a glass of water to someone who is thirsty,” he explained. Jesus sends out his disciples as “needy” people, precisely to “inspire hospitality” in those they meet. “By welcoming those who come in Jesus’ name, we welcome Him and the heavenly Father who sent Him. Love for the Lord always passes through welcoming our brothers and sisters,” he affirmed.

After reciting the Angelus, the Pope expressed his “solidarity” with the people of Venezuela, a country struck in recent days by two terrible earthquakes that have caused the deaths of at least 1,400 people. More than 3,200 people have been injured. “I pray to the Lord that He may grant eternal rest, and I offer my spiritual closeness to the families, the injured and all those who have been so severely affected,” he said. “I also express my gratitude and encouragement to all those who are working so generously in the search and rescue operations.” He also called for “solidarity from the international community”.