Entertainment
Pope Leo calls German students to a “God-centered life”
Pope Leo XIV thanks German Catholic Student Associations for letting themselves be defined by their Catholic faith, which he said is to be lived “without compromising with the trends of the moment, without placing individualistic preferences ahead of the common Tradition of the Church.”
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
“As all of you follow Christ, the only Lord and Master of life, you represent Catholic values in society not as those who carry partisan flags, but as representatives of the common good of humanity.”
Pope Leo XIV gave this reminder when addressing German Catholic Student Associations in the Vatican on Friday.
The associations are gathering for a joint conference, the Cartellversammlung, for the first time outside of Germany.
The Pope observed that their decision to come here to Rome was “motivated by the Catholic faith that defines you, by the communion that binds us as disciples of Jesus, and by the cultural activities you undertake.”
In his address, the Holy Father called on the German students to hold true to their Catholic faith and values.
Catholic faith without compromising
“In Germany, in Italy and throughout the world, the same Catholic faith strengthens our cooperation, without compromising with the trends of the moment, without placing individualistic preferences ahead of the common Tradition of the Church.”
The Pope called on them to promote the evangelization of culture, noting they do so as their university organizations continually draw in new young people because they bear witness to passion, competence, and authentic Christian friendship.
Pope Leo reflected on their Catholic identity, noting, their firm commitment to the faith is reflected in the four principles that guide your association: religio, scientia, amicitia, and patria.
“In the face of the despotism and ideologies of the past, the Catholic faith has never been merely a veneer or a label,” he recalled, “but rather a way of life to be shared in university and work settings.”
Light of faith enlightens
Faced with the challenges of the technological revolution, the Pope urged them to devote particular attention to the study and promotion of our common humanity. “In his or her irreducible expression as male or female,” Pope Leo said, “the human person is in fact always relational and limited, and thereby called to become a task for oneself and a gift to the other.”
He noted that, just like the exercise of reason, the light of faith illumines the promises and deceptions of the present time, calling on each person to do their best to help build a just and peaceful society.
Developing relationships with God and pursuing holiness
The Holy Father acknowledged that they have come to realize that it is not merely a matter of pursuing a profession, but of following a vocation.
“In the face of what dehumanizes people — especially the least among us, the small, the poor, and the sick,” Pope Leo said, “I ask you to be witnesses to Christian humanism.”
“After all,” Pope Leo emphasized, “human beings are always seeking God, and He has revealed Himself to us as our Saviour.”
“It is not in spite of our activities, then, but precisely through what we do,” he said, “that we develop a relationship with God, which becomes a path to holiness.”
The pinnacle of a God-centered life
“Yes,” Pope Leo underscored, “the cultural mission of Christians is to direct society and history toward this pinnacle of a God-centered life.”
Pope Leo concluded by entrusting them to the intercession of Saint Boniface, evangelizer of Germany, so that they “may be witnesses to this wisdom of the Gospel in German and European society.”
Source link
