During his Wednesday General Audience in the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV reminded the faithful that the heart of Christian hope lies in Christ’s Resurrection. “The centre of our faith and the heart of our hope are firmly rooted in the Resurrection of Christ,” he said, according to Vatican News.
The Holy Father emphasized that the Resurrection was not a spectacle of triumph over enemies but rather the manifestation of love that conquers even betrayal. “Indeed, Jesus’ Resurrection is not a bombastic triumph, nor is it revenge or retaliation against his enemies,” Pope Leo reflected. Instead, “it is a wonderful testimony to how love is capable of rising again after a great defeat in order to continue its unstoppable journey”.
Forgiveness Without Resentment
The Pope contrasted human reactions to suffering with Christ’s merciful example. “When we get up again after a trauma caused by others, often the first reaction is anger, the desire to make someone pay,” he noted. But “the Risen One… does not take revenge. He does not return with gestures of power, but rather with meekness he manifests the joy of a love greater than any wound and stronger than any betrayal,” according to Vatican News.
In this way, the Lord shows us that healing comes not through resentment but through reconciliation. According to the Pope, even in His risen glory, Jesus “does so with extreme discretion, without forcing the pace of their capacity for acceptance, only with the desire to return to communion with them, helping them to overcome the sense of guilt.”
The Gift of Peace
Pope Leo XIV reflected on Jesus entering the Upper Room, where the disciples were paralyzed by fear. There, Christ greeted them with the words, “Peace be with you!” The Pope observed that this greeting, though simple, was accompanied by a profound gesture: showing His wounds. These wounds, Pope Leo clarified, “serve not to reproach, but to confirm a love stronger than any infidelity, and are the proof that, even in the moment of our failure, God did not retreat. He did not give up on us.”
Resurrection as Mercy
The Pope explained that Christ’s Resurrection is not the erasure of past sins but their transformation into hope. “The Lord offers His wounds as a guarantee of forgiveness and shows that the Resurrection is not the erasure of the past, but its transfiguration into a hope of mercy.”
Sent to Reconcile
Finally, Pope Leo XIV underlined that the Risen Lord not only gives peace but entrusts a mission. By breathing the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, He commissioned them to carry reconciliation to the world. “From that moment,” the Pope said, “the Apostles would no longer be able to remain silent about what they have seen and heard, namely that God forgives, lifts up, and restores trust.”
This same mission extends to us today. “This is the heart of the mission of the Church: not to administer power over others, but to communicate the joy of those who are loved precisely when they did not deserve it,” Pope Leo concluded. “The Lord shows us His wounds and says: Peace be with you,” reminding us that we too are sent forth as witnesses of His peace.
Your support brings the truth to the world.
Catholic Online News exists because of donors like you. We are 100% funded by people who believe the world deserves real, uncensored news rooted in faith and truth — not corporate agendas. Your gift ensures millions can continue to access the news they can trust — stories that defend life, faith, family, and freedom.
When truth is silenced, your support speaks louder.
