Pope Francis says Jesus' Final Judgment Parable Challenges Us "As believers in Jesus Christ" - "to recognize in every man and woman the image of God"
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MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE SIXTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
"FOR THE BALANCE OF THE WORLD"
[Havana, 28-31 January 2025]
_________________________
Dear delegates,
As many of you probably know, 2025 is a Jubilee Year, a year of grace according to the ancient tradition of the people of Israel, which presented itself as an opportunity to restore peace and social fraternity, through forgiveness and reconciliation. Significantly, I have wished to dedicate this Jubilee to the theme of hope as a call to all men of good will, because I believe that, regardless of our beliefs, "in the heart of every person there is hope as a desire and expectation of the good" (Bull Spes non confundit, 1).
In this way, hope is revealed as a very appropriate value for this forum held in Havana, because, thanks to its aspiration to be open, plural and multidisciplinary, it has the capacity to look into the reasons that move the heart of today's man. It is hope, which faith and love of Jesus Christ give to Christians, which allows us to be "ready to share in the sufferings, the weariness, the disappointments and the fears that are part of life" of every man and every society (cf. Encyclical Letter Dilexit nos, 157).
Our "hope is born of love and is founded on love" (Bull Spes non confundit, 3). A love that calls us to build, on the ruins that we leave in this world with our sin, a new civilization of love, so that in the midst of the disaster left by evil, we may all collaborate in the reconstruction of good and beauty (cf. Encyclical Letter Dilexit nos, 182).
In the Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee, I proposed a series of signs and calls to hope, which we can take up on a social and cultural level as men of good will, rediscovering this precious virtue in the signs of the times that the Lord offers us, paying attention to "all that is good in the world so as not to fall into the temptation of considering ourselves overcome by evil and violence" (Bull Spes non confundit, 7).
May this certainty impel us to work with courage so that this hope "may be translated into peace for the world, which once again finds itself submerged in the tragedy of war" (ibid., 8), abandoning the logic of violence and assuming a commitment to dialogue and the work of diplomacy to build with courage and creativity spaces for negotiation aimed at lasting peace (cf. ibid.). An effort that will not be successful if it does not succeed in enabling every person, prevented from opening up to life with enthusiasm, “because of the frenetic pace of life, fears for the future, the lack of job security and adequate social protection, social models whose agenda is dictated by the pursuit of profit rather than by the care of relationships” (ibid., 9), to look to the future with hope.
All initiatives that seek to open paths for “so many brothers and sisters who live in conditions of hardship” (ibid., 10), whatever the cause, are to be praised, so that from institutions and from society as a whole, with the collaboration of all social actors, initiatives and paths are taken that restore their confidence in themselves and in society. The poor and the sick, the young and the elderly, migrants and displaced persons, even those deprived of liberty, must be at the centre of our considerations, so that no one is excluded and all see their human dignity respected. Likewise, volunteers and professionals who work in these areas, so that they always have the appropriate means to carry this encouragement on behalf of all humanity.
Jesus said in the parable of the final judgment: “as you did it to the least of my brothers, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). As believers in Jesus Christ, this challenge invites us to recognize in every man and woman the image of God, called to be brothers and sisters and to form part of the human family and the family of the children of God. Even outside the realm of faith, this affirmation maintains its full force, because we are all called to live in fraternal gratuitousness and everything we do for others affects us as individuals and as a society (cf. Encyclical Letter Fratelli tutti, 140). Let us learn this lesson from love, building hope in that balance that seeks to ensure that everyone has what they need, teaching us to share with the poor, and to open ourselves with generous welcome to others, so that we know how to contribute what we are and have to the common good. May these wishes help you in the work you undertake for a more just and fraternal society.
Vatican, November 22, 2024
FRANCIS
TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE SIXTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
"FOR THE BALANCE OF THE WORLD"
[Havana, 28-31 January 2025]
_________________________
Dear delegates,
As many of you probably know, 2025 is a Jubilee Year, a year of grace according to the ancient tradition of the people of Israel, which presented itself as an opportunity to restore peace and social fraternity, through forgiveness and reconciliation. Significantly, I have wished to dedicate this Jubilee to the theme of hope as a call to all men of good will, because I believe that, regardless of our beliefs, "in the heart of every person there is hope as a desire and expectation of the good" (Bull Spes non confundit, 1).
In this way, hope is revealed as a very appropriate value for this forum held in Havana, because, thanks to its aspiration to be open, plural and multidisciplinary, it has the capacity to look into the reasons that move the heart of today's man. It is hope, which faith and love of Jesus Christ give to Christians, which allows us to be "ready to share in the sufferings, the weariness, the disappointments and the fears that are part of life" of every man and every society (cf. Encyclical Letter Dilexit nos, 157).
Our "hope is born of love and is founded on love" (Bull Spes non confundit, 3). A love that calls us to build, on the ruins that we leave in this world with our sin, a new civilization of love, so that in the midst of the disaster left by evil, we may all collaborate in the reconstruction of good and beauty (cf. Encyclical Letter Dilexit nos, 182).
In the Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee, I proposed a series of signs and calls to hope, which we can take up on a social and cultural level as men of good will, rediscovering this precious virtue in the signs of the times that the Lord offers us, paying attention to "all that is good in the world so as not to fall into the temptation of considering ourselves overcome by evil and violence" (Bull Spes non confundit, 7).
May this certainty impel us to work with courage so that this hope "may be translated into peace for the world, which once again finds itself submerged in the tragedy of war" (ibid., 8), abandoning the logic of violence and assuming a commitment to dialogue and the work of diplomacy to build with courage and creativity spaces for negotiation aimed at lasting peace (cf. ibid.). An effort that will not be successful if it does not succeed in enabling every person, prevented from opening up to life with enthusiasm, “because of the frenetic pace of life, fears for the future, the lack of job security and adequate social protection, social models whose agenda is dictated by the pursuit of profit rather than by the care of relationships” (ibid., 9), to look to the future with hope.
All initiatives that seek to open paths for “so many brothers and sisters who live in conditions of hardship” (ibid., 10), whatever the cause, are to be praised, so that from institutions and from society as a whole, with the collaboration of all social actors, initiatives and paths are taken that restore their confidence in themselves and in society. The poor and the sick, the young and the elderly, migrants and displaced persons, even those deprived of liberty, must be at the centre of our considerations, so that no one is excluded and all see their human dignity respected. Likewise, volunteers and professionals who work in these areas, so that they always have the appropriate means to carry this encouragement on behalf of all humanity.
Jesus said in the parable of the final judgment: “as you did it to the least of my brothers, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). As believers in Jesus Christ, this challenge invites us to recognize in every man and woman the image of God, called to be brothers and sisters and to form part of the human family and the family of the children of God. Even outside the realm of faith, this affirmation maintains its full force, because we are all called to live in fraternal gratuitousness and everything we do for others affects us as individuals and as a society (cf. Encyclical Letter Fratelli tutti, 140). Let us learn this lesson from love, building hope in that balance that seeks to ensure that everyone has what they need, teaching us to share with the poor, and to open ourselves with generous welcome to others, so that we know how to contribute what we are and have to the common good. May these wishes help you in the work you undertake for a more just and fraternal society.
Vatican, November 22, 2024
FRANCIS
Translation from Vatican.va with File photo Screenshot of Vatican Media
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