This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the College of Writers of the the journal “La Civiltà Cattolica”, to whom he delivered the following address:
Address of the Holy Father
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you!
Good morning, and thank you for your patience!
A few months on from the beginning of my papacy, I am happy to welcome you, members of the College of writers and collaborators of the journal “La Civiltà Cattolica”. I greet the Prepositor General, who is kindly accompanying us in this audience.
This meeting takes place on the 175th anniversary of the founding of “La Civiltà Cattolica”. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the service, so faithful and generous, that you have rendered to the Apostolic See for so many years. Your work has contributed – and continues to contribute – to making the Church present in the world of culture, in harmony with the teachings of the Pope and the guidelines of the Holy See.
Your journal has defined your journal as “a window on the world”, appreciating its openness, and one of its characteristics is truly its ability to approach current affairs without fear of facing their challenges and contradictions.
We can identify three significant areas of your work on which to focus: educating people in intelligent and active commitment in the world, being a voice for the last, and being heralds of hope.
Regarding the first aspect, what you write can help your readers to understand better the complex society in which we live, evaluating its potential and weaknesses, in search of those “signs of the times” to which Vatican Council II drew attention (cf. Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, 4). And this will enable them to make valid contributions, also at a political level, to fundamental issues such as social justice, the family, education, the new technological challenges, and peace. Through your articles, you can offer your readers useful hermeneutic tools and criteria for action, so that everyone can contribute to building a more just and fraternal world, in truth and freedom. As Saint John Paul II said, “the Church’s role, which you are called to broaden and spread, is to proclaim the Gospel of love and peace by promoting justice, the spirit of brotherhood and the knowledge of man’s common destiny, essential conditions for building genuine peace among peoples” (Address to the community of the journal “La Civiltà Cattolica”, 22 April 1999, 4).
This brings us to the second point: being a voice for the poorest and the excluded. Pope Francis wrote that, in the proclamation of the Gospel, “there is one sign which we should never lack: the option for those who are least, those whom society discards” (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, 24 November 2013, 195). Being a voice for the smallest is therefore a fundamental aspect of the life and mission of every Christian. It requires, first of all, a great and humble capacity to listen, to be close to those who suffer, to recognize in their silent cry that of the Crucified One who says: “I thirst” (Jn 19:28). Only in this way is it possible to become a faithful and prophetic echo of the voice of those who are in need, breaking every barrier of isolation, loneliness and deafness.
And so we come to the third point: being messengers of hope. This means opposing the indifference of those who remain insensitive to others and their legitimate need for a future, as well as overcoming the disappointment of those who no longer believe in the possibility of embarking on new paths. Above all, it means remembering and proclaiming that for us, the ultimate hope is Christ, our way (cf. Jn 14:6). In Him and with Him, there are no more dead ends on our journey, nor realities that, however harsh and complicated, can stop us and prevent us from loving God and our brothers and sisters with confidence. As Benedict XVI wrote, I know that “my own life and history in general, despite all failures, are held firm by the indestructible power of Love” (Encyclical Letter Spe salvi, 35), and therefore I still and always find the courage to act and to persevere (cf. ibid.). This is an important message, especially in a world that is increasingly turned in on itself.
Dear friends, in conclusion, I would like to recall the words that Pope Francis addressed to you shortly before leaving us, on the occasion of the official beginning of your ‘Jubilee of foundation”: “I encourage you”, he wrote, “to continue your work with joy, through good journalism, which aligns itself only with the Gospel, listening to all voices and embodying that docile meekness which is good for the heart” (Message to the editor of “La Civiltà Cattolica” on the 175th anniversary of its publication, 17 March 2025, L’Osservatore Romano, 2 April 2025, p.5).
And on another occasion he said, referring to the name of your periodical: “A journal is truly ‘Catholic’ only if it possesses Christ’s outlook on the world, and if it transmits it and bears witness to it” (Address to the community of “La Civiltà Cattolica”, 9 February 2017. Here is your mission: to grasp Christ’s outlook on the world, to cultivate it, communicate it, and bear witness to it.
Fully sharing the words of my late Predecessor, I thank you once again, assure you of my remembrance in prayer and bless you from my heart. Thank you.
