In an audience with the Illinois Municipal League, the pontiff said that Gospel values can be applied to city government to the benefit of the most vulnerable and for the common good.<\/p>\n
At the Vatican on Monday of Holy Week \u2014 known in some places as \u201cAuthority Monday\u201d \u2014 Pope Leo XIV recalled Jesus\u2019 cleansing of the Temple in Matthew 23:21-27, saying that through the paschal mystery, the Lord shows \u201cthat even the most difficult and challenging circumstances can be transformed from within by the power of love.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate source of hope\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cThe resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate source of hope for all who believe in Christ and await the promise of eternal life,\u201d the pontiff said during an audience with the Illinois Municipal League, an association of municipalities that advocates for the interests of local governments in Illinois, the pope\u2019s home state.<\/p>\n
Acknowledging that suffering cannot be avoided or eliminated, the Holy Father affirmed that one can \u201cfind a redemptive meaning\u201d in it that restores lost dignity and \u201copens the door to a new life.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Holy Father also recalled that \u201cthe victory of the risen Lord over death\u201d reveals that the heart of authentic authority is service: \u201cHis service and obedience to the will of the Father have led to a sure hope and lasting peace for all humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThus,\u201d the pontiff added, \u201cthe victory born of Christ\u2019s gift of self stands as both a beacon and a challenge for all of us today.\u201d<\/p>\n
He invited members of the state association \u201cto be attentive to the needs of the weakest and most vulnerable in order to assist them toward integral human development.\u201d<\/p>\n
He cited as an example the Venerable Giorgio La Pira, who served as mayor of Florence, Italy, encouraging the group \u201cto reduce and alleviate the suffering and hardships of their citizens in every possible way, through every measure that love suggests and the law provides.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe dignity of every individual must be recognized and upheld, because their municipalities are not anonymous places but rather possess faces and stories that must be cherished as valuable treasures,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Listening to the poor and to immigrants<\/p>\n
The pope asked the group to listen to the poor, to immigrants, \u201cand to all the least among you\u201d in order \u201cto promote the common good for the benefit of all.\u201d<\/p>\n
In this way, he emphasized, \u201ceach of your municipalities can become a place of genuine encounter among all citizens, providing opportunities for every individual to flourish.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pope Leo XIV also recalled that \u201cthose who exercise authority are also servants of God\u201d and entrusted the association members to the intercession of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, who for many years assisted the most vulnerable in Chicago \u201cwith great love and dedication.\u201d<\/p>\n
Acest articol a fost publicat ini\u021bial de ACI Prensa, serviciul de limb\u0103 spaniol\u0103 al EWTN News. Ea a fost tradus\u0103 \u0219i adaptat\u0103 de EWTN News English.<\/p>\n