Leo XIV: “Love cannot do without truth”

Continuing the jubilee cycle of audiences on the theme “Jesus Christ, our hope”, Pope Leo XIV commented on the Gospel episode of Judas' betrayal, “Jesus does not denounce in order to humiliate. He tells the truth because he wants to save”. The meeting was moved to the Paul VI Hall due to the extreme temperatures in Rome. In the afternoon, the Pope will travel to Castel Gandolfo.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - ‘Love, when it is true, cannot do without truth.’ With these words, Pope Leo XIV commented this morning on the ‘intimate, dramatic’ scene in Mark's Gospel in which Jesus reveals to his twelve disciples that someone is about to betray him, in the last moments of his life. The words he uttered - ‘He who eats with me will betray me’ (Mk 14:18) - are ‘strong’ words, not of condemnation, but of love. ‘He does not raise his voice, he does not point his finger, he does not pronounce Judas' name. He speaks in such a way that everyone can question themselves,’ explained the pontiff, continuing the Wednesday Jubilee audiences in the Paul VI Hall on the theme ‘Jesus Christ, our hope.’

Today's gathering was moved to the large audience hall because of the high temperatures forecast for Rome. Those who were unable to enter were still able to follow the readings and the Pope's words on large screens in St. Peter's Square and in Piazzale Petriano, near the current residence of the Prefect, the Palace of the Holy Office.

‘This morning we will have the audience in different places, at different times, to stay a little out of the sun and the intense heat,’ said Leo XIV to the thousands of participants, speaking off the cuff in English at the beginning. ‘We thank you for your patience and we thank God for the wonderful gift of life, the good weather and all his blessings.’ These words were followed by the pope's own translation into Spanish and Italian. In the afternoon, Leo XIV will return to Castel Gandolfo for a second period of rest at the Villa Barberini residence.

Continuing his commentary on the Gospel, Pope Leo XIV recounted how Jesus' words bring, in the room ‘carefully’ prepared for the supper, ‘a silent pain, made up of questions, suspicions, vulnerability.’ A pain that all people can experience when ‘the shadow of betrayal creeps into’ their most cherished relationships. Immediately, says the evangelist, ‘they began to be saddened and to say to him, one after another, “Is it I?”’ (Mk 14:19). The disciples' question ‘is among the most sincere we can ask ourselves,’ said Prevost. ‘It is not the question of the innocent, but of the disciple who discovers his fragility. It is not the cry of the guilty, but the whisper of those who, even though they want to love, know that they can hurt.’ Jesus' ‘denunciation’ is not meant to “humiliate”; it is a truth spoken in order to ‘save.’

‘To be saved, we must feel: feel that we are involved, feel that we are loved despite everything, feel that evil is real but does not have the last word,’ added the Pope. ‘Only those who have known the truth of a deep love can also accept the wound of betrayal.’ In fact, what the disciples feel is not anger, but sadness. It is a feeling that arises from the ‘real possibility of being involved.’ It is a feeling that is a place of ‘conversion,’ explained Leo XIV: ‘The Gospel does not teach us to deny evil, but to recognise it as a painful opportunity for rebirth.’

Then, referring to other ‘harsh’ words of Jesus - ‘It would be better for that man if he had never been born!’ (Mk 14:21) - the pontiff emphasised that this is not a “curse”, but a ‘cry of pain’, ‘an exclamation of sincere and profound compassion’. ‘We are accustomed to judging. God, however, accepts suffering. When he sees evil, he does not take revenge, but grieves.’ This is the lesson to be drawn from this episode and from the words spoken by Jesus. “Right there, in the darkest place, the light does not go out. On the contrary, it begins to shine”. In fact, “Jesus is not scandalised by our fragility”. “This is the silent strength of God: he never abandons the table of love, even when he knows he will be left alone”, added Pope Leo XIV.

The audience concluded with the Lord's Prayer in Latin, sung by the Pope himself, and the apostolic blessing extended ‘in a special way’ to children, the elderly and the suffering. This included the blessing of devotional objects brought by the faithful present. At the end, the Pope greeted the Italian-speaking pilgrims and recalled the Solemnity of the Assumption, which will take place in two days, on 15 August. ‘I urge you to turn your prayers constantly to the Virgin Mary,’ he said, ‘following her example in fully accepting the vocation to intimacy with God and concern for every human being.’