Pope: No Pain Can Extinguish Our Reflection of God’s Goodness

Vatican, Nov 18, 2025: In his message to participants of the conference titled “Building Communities that Safeguard Dignity,” organised by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, Pope Leo encouraged consecrated men and women attending the event to reflect on how to build communities that uphold the dignity of every person, especially those who are most vulnerable.

He said God endows every human being with dignity, emphasising that this dignity is a gift and cannot be earned, deserved, or imposed.

“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 urged consecrated religious to draw close to others with respect and tenderness, so as to share in their burdens and hopes.

“Care and protection for our neighbour also arise from a gaze able to recognise and a heart able to listen,” he said. “It is in taking responsibility for the life of our neighbour that we learn true freedom, the kind that does not dominate but serves, does not possess but accompanies.”

He noted that religious men and women have chosen to follow Christ in chastity, poverty, and obedience, adding that their “total self-gift to Christ” can help them learn to love others authentically, with a free and generous heart.

The Pope also invited those taking part 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.”

In conclusion, 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 foster the Church’s “growth in a culture of safeguarding.”

Courtesy: Vatican News