In its second General audience Since he was chosen as a pontiff, the Pope Leo XIV He focused his catechesis on Wednesday on the Parable of the Good Samaritan and launched a blunt called to Universal Compassionwhich, he said, should not be locked in the religious sphere, but must sprout “From a deep shared humanity”. In that frame, he referred to particular concern for conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza Stripevoking the most painful images of both scenarios.
In this way, the Pope asked the leaders of the parties involved to Hostilities cease and release the detainees. “I renew my call to those responsible: that the fire ceases. That all persons deprived of liberty are released With his humanitarian law, ”exclaimed the Supreme Pontiff, visibly moved by the humanitarian consequences of both wars.
During your speech at the San Pedro Squarehe insisted that compassion should not be limited to the religious plane, but must arise “of a deep shared humanity”
“Before a religious issue, Compassion is a matter of humanity! Before being believers, we are called to be human”He said in front of thousands of faithful congregated.
Solidarity with the Gaza and Ukraine Strip
The Pontiff also referred to special emphasis on humanitarian drama in Loopwhere he denounced the constant suffering of the civilian population. “From the Gaza Strip increasingly rises to heaven the cry of moms and parents. The lifeless bodies of children narrow and that they are continuously forced to go to other sites in search of food before the bombings, ”he said with a firm tone.
In parallel, he expressed his solidarity with the Ukrainian people: “My thoughts were frequently to the Ukrainian people. I assure my closeness and prayer for all, especially for children and their families.” And he added: “I ask everyone to join in prayer for peace in Ukraine and everywhere where the wind of the war spot”
During his message, the Pope also addressed the deepest causes of contemporary suffering. He emphasized that many times the hopelessness is born of rigid or selfish visions of lifeand invited to reconsider that perspective through the evangelical message.
“The lack of hope, sometimes, is because We are trapped in a certain rigid form And closed to see things, and the parables help us look at them from another point of view, ”he explained.
The peace request of Leo XIV
Returning to the biblical story of the Samaritan, the Pope asked to adopt an active attitude towards the pain of others. “We are in front of the other, in the face of its fragility and weaknessand we can decide what to do: take care of him or do as if nothing, “he said. And he remarked:”Religiosity here has nothing to do with. This Samaritan stops simply because he is a man before another man who needs help. ”
He also warned about the dangers of living in a hurry, an attitude that, he said, prevents stopping with whoever suffers. “Hurry, so present in our life, which many times prevents us from feeling compassion. Who thinks that his trip must have the priority, he is not willing to stop for another, ”he criticized.
In his analysis of the evangelical text, the Pope proposed a change of focus: “Jesus tells a parable that is a way to transform that question, to move from ‘Who loves me?’, Who wanted? ‘ The first is an immature question, the second is the adult’s question who has understood the meaning of his life. ”
Finally, Pope Leo XIV stressed that real aid cannot be given at a distance or indifferent. “If you want to help someone, you can’t think about staying at a distance, you have to get involved, get dirtymaybe pollute you. (…) Only really helps if you are willing to feel the weight of the pain of the other; (…) The other is not a package to deliver, but someone to take care of ”.
The message, marked by the urgency of building a world more fair, solidarity and peacefulwas crossed by the figure of the Samaritan as a symbol of a humanity willing to involve the suffering of others.
Source: Ambito
