Pope Leo XIV on inauguration: Offer God's love to everyone
Pope Leo XIV urged the faithful around the world to be instruments of unity and communion during his inauguration as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday.
'Brothers and sisters, I would like that our first great desire be for a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world,' Pope Leo XIV said during his homily at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.
'This is the missionary spirit that must animate us; not closing ourselves off in our small groups, nor feeling superior to the world. We are called to offer God's love to everyone, in order to achieve that unity which does not cancel out differences but values the personal history of each person and the social and religious culture of every people,' he added.
The new pontiff lamented over the 'discord' among the people observed in the current times.
'In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth's resources and marginalizes the poorest,' he said.
The 69-year-old Augustinian pope reminded Catholics that love goes beyond differences.
'The ministry of Peter is distinguished precisely by this self-sacrificing love, because the Church of Rome presides in charity and its true authority is the charity of Christ,' the pope said.
'It is never a question of capturing others by force, by religious propaganda or by means of power. Instead, it is always and only a question of loving as Jesus did, he added.
Pope Leo XIV was elected as the successor of the late Pope Francis on May 9 after a two-day Papal Conclave. He will lead lead 1.4 billion Catholics around the world.
—Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
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