Newsletter - 16 November
Six Months Journey with Pope Leo XIV:
A Shepherd of Unity and Peace
It has been six months since Pope Leo XIV first greeted the world from the Central Loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica. From that moment, his message has been clear and consistent: the Church is called to be a sign of unity and communion, a source of hope and healing in a world wounded by war, hatred, and division.
Throughout his early ministry, Pope Leo has reminded us that proclaiming the heart of our faith must always go hand in hand with living it—through acts of charity, compassion, and a deep commitment to those most in need. His words and actions invite us all to help build a more just and loving society, beginning in our own communities.
Let us take a moment to reflect on some of the key moments from these first six months, beginning with the humble greeting he offered on the night of his election:
"Peace be with you all! It is the peace of the risen Christ. A peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. A peace that comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally. We must seek together how to be a missionary Church, a Church that builds bridges, dialogue, always open to welcome".
In his homily of 18 May, the Pope spoke of “love and unity” as the two dimensions of the task entrusted by Jesus to Peter. For, as he told the young people gathered at Tor Vergata on the evening of 2 August, “Our existence did not originate from our decision, but from a love that wanted us.” The Church’s mission is to witness this love. Jesus “tells us that it is not enough to profess the faith with words, to eat and drink with Him by celebrating the Eucharist or to have a good knowledge of Christian doctrine. Our faith is authentic when it embraces our whole life, when it becomes a criteria for our decisions, when it makes us women and men committed to doing what is right and who take risks out of love, even as Jesus did.”
In his first Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi te, published on 9 October, Pope Leo explained that helping those who suffer “is not a matter of mere human kindness but a revelation: contact with those who are lowly and powerless is a fundamental way of encountering the Lord of history.” Love for the poor is not “optional but a requirement of true worship.”
Pope Leo highlights the importance of fraternity in our lives “the fraternity given by Christ…frees us from the negative logic of selfishness, division, and arrogance, and restores to us our original vocation, in the name of a love and a hope that are renewed every day.” Jesus’ Resurrection shows us the way to reach Him—through being “brothers and sisters all”.
An extract from the Vatican News
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