Pope Leo XIV encourages consecrated religious to build communities that respect the dignity of every person, in a message sent to a conference promoted by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
By Devin Watkins
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV sent a message on Monday to participants in a conference entitled “Building Communities that Safeguard Dignity,” promoted by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
In his message, the Pope encouraged consecrated men and women attending the event to reflect on ways to build communities that respect the dignity of all people, especially the most vulnerable.
God bestows every human being with dignity, he said, noting that human dignity is a gift and cannot be obtained by merit or force.
“It is born from the loving gaze with which God has willed each of us, one by one, and with which He continues to will us,” he said. “In every human face—even when marked by fatigue or pain—there is the reflection of the Creator’s goodness, a light that no darkness can extinguish.”
Pope Leo called on consecrated religious to draw near to others with respect and tenderness, in order to share their burdens and hopes.
“Care and protection for our neighbor also arise from a gaze able to recognize and a heart able to listen,” he said. “It is in taking responsibility for the life of our neighbor that we learn true freedom, the kind that does not dominate but serves, does not possess but accompanies.”
Religious men and women have chosen to follow Christ in chastity, poverty, and obedience, he said, adding that their “total self-gift to Christ” can help them learn to love others authentically with a free heart.
The Pope went on to invite participants in the conference to share their experiences with others and to learn how to prevent “every form of abuse”.
“I urge you to carry this commitment forward so that communities may increasingly become examples of trust and dialogue, where each person is respected, heard, and valued,” he said. “Wherever justice is lived with mercy, wounds become openings of grace.”
Concluding, Pope Leo XIV expressed his support for the work of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, and encouraged consecrated religious to work together to promote the Church’s “growth in a culture of safeguarding.”
