Pope: Everyone should commit to making work stable and dignified
Leo XIV spoke to the pilgrims who came to Rome for the Jubilee of Work, postponed in May due to the death of Francis. The pope expressed hope for more work that allows “the expression of individual creativity and capacity for good”. He also referred to John Paul II’s teachings in Poland and the testimony of Blessed Isidore Bakanja, a young African apprentice.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Leo XIV spoke to approximately 10,000 pilgrims from Italy and around the world gathered in St Peter's Square for the audience of the Jubilee of Work.
In his address, the pontiff said: “I hope for a collective commitment from institutions and civil society to create valid employment opportunities that offer stability and dignity, ensuring especially that young people can realise their dreams and contribute to the common good”.
The event was set for 1-4 May, coinciding with International Workers’ Day, but due to the death of Pope Francis, it was cancelled, along with other Jubilee-related events.
However, following numerous requests, the Dicastery for Evangelisation, responsible for Holy Year events, decided to hold this event today. Many trade unions, professional associations, and cooperatives joined the initiative.
“Work must be a source of hope and life, allowing the expression of individual creativity and capacity for good," Leo XIV said.
In his greeting to the Polish-speaking pilgrims, he mentioned the long tradition of workers’ pilgrimages in Karol Wojtyła’s homeland.
“Their inspiration," the pope explained, "stems from the teachings of Saint John Paul II and his encyclical Laborem Exercens, as well as from the work of Blessed Father Popiełuszko. Return to these sources to address 'new things,' fostering a Christian vision of human work."
In the catechesis proposed to all pilgrims on the Jubilee theme of hope, Leo cited the testimony of a worker, Isidore Bakanja (1887-1909), a young apprentice, patron of the laity of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"He became friends with the Catholic missionaries, the Trappist monks: they spoke to him about Jesus, and he agreed to follow Christian instruction and receive Baptism, around the age of 20," the Pope said. "From that moment, his witness became ever more luminous. To hope is to bear witness: when we bear witness to new life, the light increases even amid difficulties."
In the colonial era, Isidore found himself working as a farm labourer for an unscrupulous European master who could not stand his faith and authenticity.
“The master,” Leo XIV continued, “hated Christianity and those missionaries who defended the indigenous people against the abuses of the colonisers, but Isidore wore his scapular with the image of the Virgin Mary around his neck until the end, enduring every kind of mistreatment and torture, without losing hope. To hope is to bear witness. Isidore died, declaring to the Trappist Fathers that he bore no resentment; indeed, he promised to pray even in the afterlife for those who reduced him to this state."
"This is the word of the Cross. It is a lived word, which breaks the chains of evil. It is a new kind of strength, which confounds the proud and overthrows the powerful from their thrones. Thus hope arises,” the Pope noted.
“Often, the ancient Churches of the Northern Hemisphere receive this testimony from the young Churches, which urges them to walk together toward the Kingdom of God, which is a Kingdom of justice and peace. Africa in particular calls for this conversion, and it does so by giving us so many young witnesses of faith.”
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