Leo XIV: God remains faithful to his plan of love and life despite war and discrimination

During today’s audience in St Peter's, the pontiff spoke about his upcoming visit to Turkey and Lebanon (27 November-2 December). In his address, he called on the faithful to “accompany me with prayers.” Yesterday in Castel Gandolfo, he said that his trip will be “an exceptional opportunity to promote unity”. Speaking about Israeli raids in Beirut, he called for "the pursuit of peace." In his Jubilee catechesis, he said that “the lack of confidence in life” is “a widespread sickness”.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – At the end of today’s general audience in St Peter's Square, Pope Leo XIV spoke about his upcoming apostolic journey to Turkey and Lebanon, which will start tomorrow, 27 November, until 2 December, the first of his pontificate (see the schedule), with a major stop on Friday in Iznik, known as Nicaea in antiquity, for the 1,700th anniversary of the first Christian ecumenical council.

For the pontiff, it will be a "visit to the beloved peoples of those countries rich in history and spirituality," as well as an opportunity to meet with "the Catholic community, our Christian brothers and sisters, and those of other religions. I ask you to accompany me with prayers," he added.

Speaking yesterday evening to the press in Castel Gandolfo, at the end of his weekly day of rest, he said: “I think it will be an exceptional opportunity to promote unity among all Christians”.

Regarding recent Israeli attacks in Beirut targeting Hezbollah military chief Haytham Ali Tabatabai, which killed at least six people, the pontiff said he understands the "concern" about his upcoming trip, taking the opportunity to issue an appeal: "Look for ways to abandon the use of weapons as a means of solving problems,” and encouraging “all people to seek peace, to seek justice, because violence is often the result of injustice,” and to work to "find solutions."

This morning, after a long tour in the popemobile to greet the thousands of faithful in St Peter's, Leo read the catechesis on the topic of “Hoping in life in order to beget life,” which is part of the cycle for the Jubilee “Jesus Christ our Hope”.

He began saying that the “Pasch of Christ illuminates the mystery of life and allows us to look at it with hope.” Yet, despite this, “Many lives, in every part of the world, appear laborious, painful, filled with problems and obstacles to be overcome.”

Life, a “gift” that every human being receives, “is offered to us, we cannot give it to ourselves,” and “must be constantly nurtured” with “care”. Indeed, the “question about life is one of the most profound concerns of the human heart,” he added.

But “living invokes meaning, direction, hope”, which “prevents us from giving up in the fatigue of the journey”. Without it, “life risks appearing to be a parenthesis between two eternal nights”.

Instead, “To hope in life means instead to anticipate the destination, to believe as certain what we still cannot see or touch, to trust and to entrust ourselves to the love of a Father who created us because he wanted us with love, and wants us to be happy,” the pope said.

The lack of trust in life is, he underlined, “a widespread sickness” in our time. With it, “Life risks no longer representing a gift,” and becomes something “unknown”. “For this reason, the courage to live and to generate life, to bear witness that God is the quintessential ‘lover of life’, as the Book of Wisdom (11:26) affirms, is today a more urgent call than ever,” Leo said.

We must first remember that “Christ is life and has generated life without reserve, to the point of giving his own, and he invites us too to give our lives. To generate means to bring someone else to life.” As for “the duet of man and woman: God created them in his own image and entrusted them with the mission of generating in his image, that is, for love and in love.”

Still, in the Holy Scriptures, it happens that life can become a “tragedy,” tainted by “jealousy, envy, and blood,” as happened to Cain and Abel.

“God,” said the pontiff, “always stays faithful to his plan of love and life; he does not tire of supporting humanity even when, following in Cain’s footsteps, it obeys the blind instinct of violence in war, discrimination, racism, and the many forms of slavery.”

To generate is “to promote humanity in all its expressions”. It is “first and foremost, in the wonderful adventure of motherhood and fatherhood, even in social contexts in which families struggle to bear the burden of daily life, and are often held back in their plans and dreams.”

At the same time, it is a commitment to “an economy based on solidarity, striving for a common good equally enjoyed by all, respecting and caring for creation, offering comfort through listening, presence, and concrete and selfless help.”

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