Pope: Amid conflict, Church must bear witness to service and hope

By Devin Watkins

Pope Leo XIV met on Thursday with members of the Conference of Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions (CELRA), who are holding their annual meeting in Rome.

In his address, the Pope recognized that the Bishops guide local Churches spread throughout a “vast and diverse region, ministering in contexts often marked by political, social, and religious tensions.”

These Churches have known the witness of martyrdom, he said, pointing to the many priests, men and women religious, and lay people who have given their lives for the faith in Iraq, Syria, and other conflict-torn lands.

Pope Leo said the Church’s leaders must grow close to their people and share their wounds through listening and consolation, especially when families are forced to emigrate and communities grow more fragile.

Even in areas where Catholics are a minority, the Church’s fruitfulness is seen in fidelity to the Gospel, he said.

“At the heart of societies marked by conflict and division,” he said, “may your communities show that it is possible to live, serve, and hope together.”

Through her work in parishes, schools, and hospitals, the Church makes the Gospel tangible by listening, welcoming, and supporting those in need, in particular through the work of religious congregations.

“Amid emergencies, do not lose sight of what is essential to the Church’s mission: the proclamation of the Gospel, prayer, the Sacraments and Christian formation,” he said.

Pope Leo urged the Bishops to offer special care for families and young people, as they face difficulties and uncertainties.

Young people, he said, receive the faith in the family and benefit from their community’s listening and teaching in catechesis.

He also invited the Bishops to care for migrants who live far from their families and amid loneliness, especially in Gulf countries, where they are numerous.

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“May your communities be homes in which no one feels like a stranger,” he said. “Defend the dignity of every person and recognize in every migrant a brother or sister: in this way, charity becomes a witness to the Gospel and a school of fraternity.”

Pope Leo XIV went on to urge the Bishops to preserve communion among the Churches of various rites, calling the variety of Christian traditions a “treasure to be lived in unity.”

Their communion, he added, should lead them to engage in sincere dialogue with other Christians and Muslim communities.

“Dialogue does not mean renouncing one’s identity, but living it without fear of encounter,” he said. “Wherever war has sown distrust, every gesture of esteem, cooperation, and respect can become a step towards reconciliation and peace.”

In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV invited the Latin Bishops of Arab regions to make Christ present and proclaim His Word in the Sacraments and prayer.

“Do not seek success or recognition above all else: seek fidelity,” he said. “Be voices of truth, justice and peace; men of prayer, Pastors close to your people, artisans of reconciliation, and witnesses of mercy.”