Spanish
Pope Leo XIV lamented this Tuesday the tendency "not to appreciate enough, at different levels, the models and values matured over the centuries that mark our cultural identity".
"Let us not be fascinated by massifying and fluid models, which only promote an appearance of freedom, only to then make people dependent on forms of control such as the fashions of the moment, commercial strategies or others," he said during his visit to the Italian President, Sergio Mattarella, at the Quirinal Palace, the seat of the Republic.
Leo XIV arrived at the Quirinal Palace in the SUV he uses for his travels in a procession through the center of Rome accompanied by the 'Corazziere' cavalry.
"As is unfortunately evident, we live in times in which, along with many signs of hope, there are numerous situations of serious suffering that wound humanity worldwide and require urgent and, at the same time, forward-looking responses," said Leo XIV before the delegations of both countries.
And he renewed "his fervent call for continued work to restore peace in all parts of the world and for the principles of justice, equity, and cooperation among peoples, which are its indispensable basis, to be increasingly cultivated and promoted."
In his speech, the American and Peruvian pontiff thanked the Italian government for its aid missions to people in difficulty and cited in particular the missions to bring children from Gaza to Rome, also in collaboration with the Vatican hospital Bambino Gesù. "These are important and effective contributions to the construction of a dignified, peaceful and prosperous coexistence for all members of the human family," he added.
He also emphasized the notable decline in the birth rate in Europe and pointed out that "this requires a commitment to promote decisions at different levels in favor of the family, supporting its efforts, promoting its values and protecting its needs and rights".
And he called "to respect and protect life in all its stages, from conception to old age" and that "accessibility to medical care and medicines, according to the needs of each person" should continue.
He also expressed his gratitude "for the assistance that this country offers with great generosity to migrants, who increasingly knock on its doors, as well as for its commitment to the fight against human trafficking"
"These are complex challenges of our time, in the face of which Italy has never taken a step back. I encourage you to always keep alive the attitude of openness and solidarity," he said.
At the same time, he also wanted to recall "the importance of a constructive integration of those who come to the values and traditions of Italian society, so that the reciprocal gift that is realized in this encounter of peoples is truly for the enrichment and good of all."
