Pope Leo XIV holds protection of minors \u2018deep in his heart\u2019 Pope Leo XIV sent a message Nov. 17 to participants in the meeting for \u201cBuilding Communities that Protect Dignity,\u201d promoted by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The Holy Father said that efforts to build communities where the dignity of minors and the most vulnerable is protected and promoted are a matter that he holds \u201cdeep in his heart.\u201d The pontiff explained that \u201cdignity is a gift from God\u201d and that it is not something obtained through merit or force but rather \u201ca gift that precedes us: It is born from the loving gaze with which God has loved us individually and continues to love us.\u201d \u201cIn every human face, even when marked by weariness or pain, there is a reflection of the Creator\u2019s goodness, a light that no darkness can extinguish,\u201d he affirmed. The pope thus emphasized that \u201cby taking responsibility for the lives of others, we learn true freedom, the kind that does not dominate but serves, that does not possess but accompanies.\u201d \u201cConsecrated life, an expression of the total gift of oneself to Christ, is called in a special way to be a welcoming home and a place of encounter and grace,\u201d he underscored. The pope therefore affirmed that \u201cwhoever follows the Lord on the path of chastity, poverty, and obedience discovers that authentic love is born from the recognition of one\u2019s own limitations: from knowing that we are loved even in our weakness, and it is precisely this that enables us to love others with respect, tenderness, and a free heart.\u201d In this regard, he emphasized the purpose of the meeting: \u201cto share experiences and paths taken in learning how to prevent all forms of abuse and how to be accountable, with truth and humility, for the processes of protection undertaken.\u201d He also urged the participants \u201cto continue with this commitment so that communities become ever more examples of trust and dialogue, where every person is respected, listened to, and valued.\u201d \u201cWhere justice is lived with mercy, the wound is transformed into an opening for grace,\u201d the Holy Father said. This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA\u2019s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp Almudena Mart\u00ednez-Bordi\u00fa Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter. More news related to this article PHOTOS: American seminarians having a \u2018ball\u2019 in Rome college\u2019s restored 1960s bowling alley Quebec cardinal: \u2018We\u2019re not managers, we\u2019re not the boss\u2019 of laypeople Pope Leo XIV criticizes transhumanism: \u2018Death is not opposed to life\u2019 Vatican Authority Ordains New Opus Dei Deacons in Rome: ‘Only Love is Credible’ The “Holy Wedding Ring” of the Virgin Mary Pope Francis: God Desires To Offer His Love And Mercy To Those At The \u2018Crossroads\u2019 Of Life<\/p>\n