During the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the Gospel account of Jesus restoring sight to a man born blind, explaining that true faith allows believers to perceive human suffering and struggles through God’s perspective.
The Holy Father led the Angelus prayer with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square. In his message before the midday Marian prayer, he meditated on the day’s Gospel passage from Gospel of John (Jn 9:1-41), which narrates the miraculous healing of a man who had been blind since birth.
According to the Pope, this Gospel episode reveals the deeper meaning of salvation. Humanity once lived in spiritual darkness, and the coming of the Son of God brought light that enables people to truly see.
He explained that, much like the blind man in the Gospel story, human beings are born unable to fully comprehend the mystery and depth of life. The limitations of human understanding prevent people from grasping the full meaning of existence.
“That is why God chose to become human in Jesus,” the Pope said. Through the Incarnation, the clay of human nature formed and sustained by God’s grace receives a new illumination that allows people to understand themselves, their neighbours, and God more clearly.
Pope Leo XIV also addressed a common saying that faith is like “a leap in the dark,” suggesting that belief requires people to close their eyes and accept things blindly. However, he clarified that authentic faith is not an irrational act or a rejection of reason.
Instead, encountering Christ and experiencing His love enlightens the human mind and heart. Faith, the Pope said, opens our vision and allows us to perceive reality more deeply than before.
“Faith is not about abandoning reason or escaping into a false sense of religious security,” he said. “Rather, it enables us to view the world as Jesus Himself sees it.”
The Pope urged Christians to allow faith to sharpen their awareness of the pain and hardships faced by others. By opening their eyes to the struggles of humanity, believers can better respond to the suffering present in society.
In a world increasingly marked by conflict and violence, he said Christians must demonstrate a faith that is vigilant, compassionate, and prophetic. Even amid injustice and turmoil, believers are called to stand as witnesses to truth and hope.
Such faith, the Pope explained, should reveal the darkness present in the world while also sharing the light of the Gospel through concrete actions that promote peace, justice, and solidarity.
Concluding his reflection, the Holy Father entrusted the faithful to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, praying that Christ may open people’s hearts so they can testify to His message with humility and courage.