Vatican City: At his weekly General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV offered a powerful catechesis on the nature of God’s forgiveness, reminding the faithful that the Resurrection of Christ is not a story of retaliation but of healing love, reconciliation, and peace.
Continuing his series on Jesus Christ Our Hope, the Holy Father said the central mystery of Christian faith is rooted in the Resurrection, which reveals the surprising logic of God. “When we read the Gospels carefully,” he said, “we realize that this mystery is astonishing not only because the Son of God rose from the dead, but also because of how He chose to do so.”
Unlike worldly triumphs, the Pope stressed, Christ’s victory was not marked by vengeance. “Jesus’ Resurrection is not a bombastic triumph, nor is it revenge or retaliation against his enemies. It is a wonderful testimony to how love is capable of rising again after a great defeat in order to continue its unstoppable journey.”
Drawing a contrast between human instincts and divine action, Pope Leo explained that when people recover from wounds inflicted by others, the first impulse is often anger or the desire for retribution. But Christ, emerging from death, chose another way. “The Risen One does not take revenge,” he said. “He does not return with gestures of power, but with meekness and the joy of a love stronger than any betrayal.”
Recalling the Gospel account of Jesus appearing in the Upper Room, Pope Leo noted that the Lord entered “the closed room of those paralyzed by fear” and brought an unexpected gift: peace. His greeting, Peace be with you, was simple yet transformative. Showing His hands and side, the Pope said, was not a gesture of accusation but of reassurance proof that God had not abandoned His people even in their failures.
“Even in the moment of our failure,” Pope Leo declared, “God did not retreat. He did not give up on us.”
The Pontiff reflected on how human beings often try to minimize betrayal by saying “it doesn’t matter” or “it is all in the past.” But true peace, he explained, is not found in denial. Instead, Christ transforms wounds into a source of mercy. “The Resurrection is not the erasure of the past,” Pope Leo taught, “but its transfiguration into a hope of mercy.”
By showing His wounds, Jesus offered them not as reproach but as a pledge of forgiveness. In this way, the Resurrection becomes a living testimony that love can endure every defeat and emerge even stronger.
The Pope reminded the faithful that Jesus entrusted His Apostles with the mission of reconciliation, breathing upon them the Holy Spirit. “From that moment,” he said, “the Apostles could no longer remain silent about what they had seen and heard: that God forgives, lifts up, and restores trust.”
This, the Holy Father added, remains the heart of the Church’s mission not to wield power, but to spread the joy of being loved even when undeserving. “It is this strength,” he said, “that gave birth to the early Christian communities and made them grow.”
In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV reminded the faithful that they too are called to be witnesses of God’s peace in the world. “The Lord shows us His wounds and says: Peace be with you,” the Pope affirmed. “He sends us out, so that we too may be instruments of peace and reconciliation, bearers of the joy that flows from being forgiven.”