As global tensions rise and violence increasingly targets believers, Pope Leo XIV has issued a stirring defense of religious freedom, calling it “an essential element to seek and live truth,” according to Vatican News.
Meeting with members of Aid to the Church in Need International (ACN), a pontifical foundation that defends persecuted Christians, the Holy Father praised their mission to safeguard the dignity of every person who seeks to live out their faith freely. The gathering took place in Rome ahead of the release of ACN’s biennial Religious Freedom in the World Report, due October 21.
Freedom Rooted in Human Dignity
Pope Leo reminded those present that religious freedom is not a privilege granted by governments but a divine right “rooted in the dignity of the human person, created in God’s image and endowed with reason and free will.” According to Vatican News, he emphasized that this freedom “allows individuals and communities to seek the truth, to live it freely, and to bear witness to it openly.”
For the Pope, such freedom is more than a legal safeguard; it is the foundation of all authentic peace. “Religious freedom is therefore the cornerstone of society,” he said, “since it safeguards the moral space in which we may form and exercise our conscience.” Without it, communities experience what he called the “slow disintegration of ethical and spiritual bonds.”
A Warning for the Modern World
Pope Leo drew from the teaching of Pope Francis, reminding the faithful that “there can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and respect for the views of others.” These freedoms, he said, are interdependent, each sustaining the moral order necessary for reconciliation and social harmony.
He also warned that when people are denied this God-given liberty, society loses its sense of purpose and connection. True freedom, he noted, “is a foundational condition that makes authentic reconciliation possible.”
Aid to the Church in Need: A Witness to Hope
Founded in 1947 to heal the wounds of war, ACN continues to embody the Church’s mission of mercy, supporting Catholics where they suffer persecution or deprivation. Pope Leo praised their tireless efforts to rebuild faith communities, especially in regions such as the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, and Mozambique, where Christian minorities remain under threat.
“Wherever Aid to the Church in Need rebuilds a chapel, supports a religious sister, or provides for a radio station or a vehicle,” Pope Leo said, “you strengthen the life of the Church, as well as the spiritual and moral fabric of society.”
He described ACN’s global outreach as a living example of Christian love in action, a force that “proclaims that the Church can never abandon our persecuted brothers and sisters.”
Freedom that Builds Peace
In closing, Pope Leo reflected on how support for local Christians allows small communities to become beacons of hope and peace. “Support for local Christians,” he said, “allows minorities to be peacemakers in their homelands, so that they may become a living sign of social harmony and fraternity, showing their neighbors that a different world is possible.”
For Catholics worldwide, his message is clear: defending religious freedom is not merely a social cause; it is a spiritual duty. It is through this freedom, Pope Leo affirmed, that humanity finds the space to seek truth, live faith, and build peace rooted in the love of Christ.
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Your Holiness,
With deep sorrow and urgent concern, I write to you in the wake of a heartbreaking act of violence in the United States. A Catholic priest—an innocent servant of God—was shot in the head by an agent of ICE. This horrific event, whether known widely or not, stands as a painful symbol of the growing brutality and spiritual crisis unfolding in our nation.
The people are desperate. Fear, injustice, and division have taken root in our institutions. In the very place where the Church should be a sanctuary of hope, we are witnessing acts that many feel resemble crimes against humanity. Families are torn apart. The vulnerable are treated as threats. And now, a man of God has become a victim of the very system sworn to protect.
Where do we turn when justice fails? Where do we look when even our priests are not safe?
Holy Father, we are crying out for your voice, your presence, your prayer—and your moral leadership. The silence around this growing violence is deafening. We humbly ask for your intercession, your guidance, and your witness to the dignity of every human being—regardless of nationality, status, or skin color.
We beg of you: shine a light into this darkness. Speak to our leaders. Speak to our hearts. Call the world back to compassion and conscience. May this moment stir not just grief, but change.
With hope in Christ and trust in your pastoral care,