Spanish
Pope Leo XIV stated "that the human being is not fulfilled in power, but in the trusting openness to others, even when they are hostile and enemies", during his catechesis at the general audience held this Wednesday in St. Peter's Square.
The Pope assured the thousands of people gathered in the square that evil is not overcome "with force, but by accepting to the core the weakness of love".
And he added that "salvation is not in autonomy, but in humbly recognizing one's own need and knowing how to express it freely."
"Fulfilling our humanity in God's design is not an act of force, but a gesture of trust. Jesus does not save with a show of force, but by asking for something that cannot be given by itself. And here a door opens to true hope," he added.
Although he explained that in our time it is something "difficult to accept" because "we live in an era that rewards self-sufficiency, efficiency, performance" but that "the Gospel shows us that the measure of our humanity is not given by what we can conquer, but by the ability to let ourselves be loved and, when necessary, also to help".
And he underlined that "precisely in asking —not in possessing— a path of freedom opens up, because we stop pretending to be self-sufficient."
"In fraternity, in simple life, in the art of asking without shame and offering without calculation, lies a joy that the world does not know. A joy that returns us to the original truth of our being: we are creatures made to give and receive love," he explained.
And he added in his catechesis: "Let us not be afraid to ask, especially when we feel we do not deserve it. Let us not be ashamed to reach out. It is precisely there, in that humble gesture, where salvation is hidden."
