Pope Leo XIV has called on Catholics not to lose hope as conflict continues to spread across parts of the world, warning that the “winds of war” are once again “sowing violence, terror and death” that is affecting countless innocent people.
Addressing pilgrims during his 12 July Angelus address at Piazza della Libertà at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, Pope Leo expressed concern over the ongoing wars in the Middle East, Ukraine and other regions, renewing his appeal for dialogue and diplomacy as the only path towards a just and lasting peace.
“Let us not allow these winds to extinguish the flame of hope and peace, even when it seems fragile and flickering,” he said.
Dialogue, encounter and diplomacy, he said, remain essential if nations are to achieve “reconciliation, mutual security and respect for the dignity of every person.”
Linking his appeal for peace to the Gospel reading the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23), Pope Leo explained that God continually sows the seed of his Word into human hearts, regardless of whether they appear receptive or resistant.
“Jesus Himself, the Word made flesh, who gave His life for our salvation, is the seed that the Father continues to sow throughout the world,” he said.
While acknowledging that the Word of God sometimes falls on “hard and unresponsive soil” or hearts distracted by conflict or the concerns of daily life, Pope Leo emphasised that God never ceases to sow because His love is stronger than human weakness.
Drawing on the teaching of St John Chrysostom, Pope Leo said what appears impossible by human standards is always possible with God. Hearts that seem hardened can become fertile ground, lives can be transformed, and those weighed down by the “thorns” of life’s struggles can still bear fruit through God’s grace.
“He sees within us the potential of a good that, at times, we ourselves might fail to recognise,” he said.
“The Lord, who knows the soil of our hearts better than we do, never ceases to believe in us – in who we are and in who we can become, day by day, if we entrust ourselves to Him in faith.”
When God’s Word is welcomed with openness and humility, he added, it produces the fruits of the Holy Spirit described by St Paul as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
“How greatly our world stands in need of these fruits: to be filled with them and transformed by them,” he reflected.
He encouraged Catholics around the world to make time for listening to, reading and meditating on Sacred Scripture to renew both body and spirit, strengthen faith and be better equipped to contribute to the growth of God’s Kingdom.
Concluding his address, Pope Leo entrusted the faithful to the care of Mary, Queen of the Apostles and Star of Evangelisation, praying that she would help Christians receive God’s Word with open hearts and bear lasting fruit in a world longing for peace.