Survey Promo
RVA App Promo Image

Pope Francis calls for ‘civilization of love’ to combat impact of crisis

Pope Francis blesses a child as he arrives at the San Damaso courtyard for his weekly general audience at the Vatican, Sept. 9. (Photo by Remo Casilli/Reuters via LiCAS.news)

Pope Francis stressed on the need to build a “civilization of love,” which he said goes beyond personal relationships, to address the impact of the global health crisis.

“A virus that does not recognize barriers, borders, or cultural or political distinctions must be faced with a love without barriers, borders, or distinctions,” said the pontiff in his weekly address.

In his General Audience on Sept. 9, Pope Francis said humans are social and political beings who are capable of the “highest expressions of love.”

The pope said “social and political love” are necessary to human development for people to be able to face any type of crisis.

“We know that love makes families and friendships flourish,” he said.

“But it is good to remember that it also makes social, cultural, economic, and political relationships flourish, allowing us to construct a ‘civilization of love,’” added the pontiff, quoting Pope St. Paul VI.

He said inclusive love can “generate social structures that encourage us to share rather than to compete.”

The pope said that this kind of love allows people “to include the most vulnerable and not to cast them aside” helps people express “the best in our human nature and not the worst.”

“True love does not know the throw-away culture, it does not know what it is,” he said.

“In fact, when we love and generate creativity, when we generate trust and solidarity, it is then that concrete initiatives emerge for the common good,” added the pope.

Pope Francis said the expression of affection and compassion “is valid” at both the level of the smallest and largest communities, and in the international level.

“What is done in the family, what is done in the neighbourhood, what is done in the village, what is done in the large cities and internationally is the same, it is the same seed that grows, grows, grows and bears fruit,” he said.

“If you in your family, in your neighbourhood start out with envy, with battles, there will be war in the end,” added the pope.

“If you start out with love, to share love, forgiveness, there will be love and forgiveness for everyone,” said the pontiff. - LiCAS.news

 

Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.”  Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.