This photo taken and handout on May 9, 2025 by The Vatican Media shows Pope Leo XIV during a mass with cardinals in the Sistine Chapel in The Vatican. (Photo by Handout / VATICAN MEDIA / AFP)
Pope Leo has challenged Christian politicians on the need to live a Christ-like life without compromise as they bear witness to Jesus in order to make the world a better place.
According to the Vatican, the Pope made this known in his address to elected officials from the French department of Val-de-Marne, urging them to carry out their duties in accordance with their faith, especially in western societies, where Christ and His Church are marginalized, often ignored, and sometimes ridiculed.
“The salvation that Jesus obtained through His death and resurrection, encompasses all dimensions of human life, such as culture, the economy and work, family and marriage, respect for human dignity and life, health, as well as communication, education, and politics.”
According to the Pope, civil leaders will not only find personal enrichment, but will benefit those they serve better by embracing Christ. “Can do no better… than to turn to Christ and ask for His help in carrying out our responsibilities.”
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In urging the Christian leaders to strengthen themselves in the faith as they prepare to face the challenges of the present world, the Pope said that the promotion of ‘values’, if emptied of Christ, will be powerless in changing the world, no matter how evangelical it may be.
The Pope also encouraged Christian leaders to unite themselves more with Jesus Christ so as to live in Him and bear witness to Christ. He also reminded his audience that for Christian politicians there can be no separation in their personality between their Christianity faith and public role.
“You are therefore called to strengthen yourselves in the faith, to deepen your understanding of the doctrine—especially the social doctrine—Jesus taught the world, and to put it into practice in the exercise of your duties and in the drafting of laws”.
According to Pope Leo, Jesus’ teachings are rooted in human nature and natural laws, recogniseable, urging them not to be afraid to propose and defend their conviction. “It is a doctrine of salvation that aims at the good of every human being and the building of peaceful, harmonious, prosperous, and reconciled societies.”
Pope Leo also urged the French officials that their Jubilee journey of faith to Rome will help them return to their daily commitments for Christ. “Strengthened by hope and better equipped to work towards building a more just, more humane, and more fraternal world – which can be nothing more than a world ever more imbued with the Gospel.”
