Pope Leo XIV: Fraternity is \u2018one of the great challenges for contemporary humanity\u2019 Pope Leo XIV reflected Wednesday on the world\u2019s need for fraternity \u2014 a gift from Christ that frees us from selfishness and division. Fraternity \u201cis without doubt one of the great challenges for contemporary humanity, as Pope Francis saw clearly,\u201d the pope said during his general audience in St. Peter\u2019s Square on Nov. 12. \u201cThe fraternity given by Christ, who died and rose again, frees us from the negative logic of selfishness, division, and arrogance,\u201d he added. Continuing his meditations on Christ\u2019s death and resurrection, Leo said \u201cto believe in the death and resurrection of Christ and to live paschal spirituality imbues life with hope and encourages us to invest in goodness.\u201d He observed that fraternity \u201ccannot be taken for granted, it is not immediate. Many conflicts, many wars all over the world, social tensions and feelings of hatred would seem to prove the opposite.\u201d Fraternity \u201cis not a beautiful but impossible dream; it is not the desire of a deluded few,\u201d he emphasized, inviting the faithful \u201cto go to the source, and above all to draw light and strength from him who alone frees us from the poison of enmity.\u201d The importance of relationships The pope reflected that \u201cfraternity stems from something deeply human. We are capable of relationship and, if we want, we are able to build authentic bonds between us. Without relationships, which support and enrich us from the very beginning of our life, we would not be able to survive, grow, or learn. They are manifold, varied in form and depth. But it is certain that our humanity is best fulfilled when we exist and live together, when we succeed in experiencing authentic, not formal, bonds with the people around us.\u201d He warned that \u201cif we turn in on ourselves, we risk falling ill with loneliness, and even a narcissism that is concerned with others only out of self-interest. The other is then reduced to someone from whom we can take, without ever being truly willing to give, to offer ourselves.\u201d Recalling that \u201cdisagreement, division, and sometimes hatred can devastate even relationships between relatives, not only between strangers,\u201d the pope cited St. Francis of Assisi\u2019s greeting of \u201comnes fratres,\u201d (\u201call brothers\u201d) \u2014 \u201cthe inclusive way in which the saint placed all human beings on the same level, precisely because he recognized them in their common destiny of dignity, dialogue, welcome, and salvation.\u201d Leo noted that Pope Francis had reproposed this approach in his encyclical Fratelli Tutti, emphasizing that the word \u201ctutti\u201d \u2014 Italian for \u201ceveryone\u201d \u2014 \u201cexpresses an essential feature of Christianity, which ever since the beginning has been the proclamation of the good news destined for the salvation of all, never in an exclusive or private form.\u201d He explained that \u201cthis fraternity is based on Jesus\u2019 commandment, which is new insofar as he accomplished it himself, the superabundant fulfillment of the will of the Father: Thanks to him, who loved us and gave himself for us, we can in turn love one another and give our lives for others, as children of the one Father and true brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.\u201d They weep and rejoice together \u201cBrothers and sisters support each other in hardship, they do not turn their back on those who are in need, and they weep and rejoice together in the active pursuit of unity, trust, and mutual reliance,\u201d the pope said. \u201cThe dynamic is that which Jesus himself gives to us: \u2018Love one another as I have loved you\u2019 (cf. John 15:12).\u201d He concluded his general audience by reminding the faithful that \u201cthe fraternity given by Christ, who died and rose again, frees us from the negative logic of selfishness, division, and arrogance, and restores to us our original vocation, in the name of a love and a hope that are renewed every day. The Risen One has shown us the way to journey with him, to feel and to be \u2018brothers and sisters all.\u2019\u201d 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 Victoria Cardiel Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter. 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