Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has encouraged members of the Leo XIV International Study Center to use humanism and the Church’s social doctrine to help address the challenges facing the modern world and contribute to building a civilization based on love, peace and justice.
The Pope welcomed members of the international study centre, an initiative of his Augustinian Order, during an audience at the Vatican on Friday. The centre was established in response to his call to rediscover the value of the Church’s Social Doctrine as an important resource for responding to contemporary challenges.
Pope Leo praised the centre’s efforts to promote dialogue with universities, academic institutions, public bodies, civil society organisations, ecclesial groups and networks. He stressed the importance of maintaining relationships and exchanges at both national and international levels.
He said this approach depends on continuing to walk together and remaining open to encounters with people who are different. The Pope urged the centre to draw on authentic humanism, which he said can encourage stronger human relationships when it remains open to the Creator.
Pope Leo also highlighted the role of the Church’s Social Teaching in responding to changes in social, labour, economic and cultural life. He pointed to the contribution of Christian laypeople, who engage directly with the challenges of their time, while stressing the need for ongoing dialogue between the faithful and the Magisterium, ordinary citizens and experts, and people and institutions.
He called on the study centre to help strengthen these forms of interaction and described its mission as one of hope. This includes preparing people for public and political life as a form of service to the common good, with responsibility towards the community and a commitment to relationships based on solidarity, justice and peace.
The Pope said the centre’s Augustinian identity could contribute to the international situation by presenting love as a principle capable of renewing personal, economic and political life.
Drawing on the thought of St Augustine, Pope Leo said history should be understood in the light of the crucified and risen Lord. He said the present should not be seen as a fixed destiny, but as an opportunity for personal and collective conversion.
He concluded by encouraging members of the study centre to recognise and support new possibilities emerging through faith and to help open paths towards a future in which people can move forward together.