Under the autumn sun of St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV dedicated his General Audience on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, to a profound meditation on the gift of life, framed by the Easter light of Christ’s Resurrection. In a catechesis that forms part of his Jubilee cycle on hope, the Holy Father warned of a “widespread illness” in the contemporary world: a lack of trust in life, which breeds resignation and fatalism. He exhorted the faithful to rediscover the courage to live and procreate, especially in family contexts marked by daily difficulties.
“Dear brothers and sisters: Life has an extraordinary specificity: it is offered to us; we cannot give it to ourselves. It requires care that sustains it, energizes it, preserves it, and relaunches it,” the Pope began, recalling that human existence is not an individual achievement, but a divine gift that evokes eternal questions: Who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going? What is the ultimate meaning of this journey? Without hope, he warned, “life risks seeming like a parenthesis between two eternal nights,” a mere pause between the before and after of our time on Earth.
The Pope identified in this mistrust a global pathology that perceives life not as a gift, but as something “unknown, almost a threat” from which one must protect oneself. In a world ravaged by wars, discrimination, racism, and modern forms of slavery—echoes of the fratricide of Cain and Abel in Genesis—Leo XIV emphasized the unwavering faithfulness of God, “the friend of life par excellence,” as the Book of Wisdom affirms (11:26). Despite the contradictions of human freedom, which turn life into a “drama,” the Lord never tires of sustaining humanity, lifting it from violence through love.
The Resurrection emerges as the central axis of this reflection: “When life seems to have been extinguished, blocked, behold, the Risen Lord passes by again, until the end of time, and walks with us and for us. He is our hope,” the Pope proclaimed, recalling how Christ, “life itself,” healed the sick, restored dignity to sinners, and gave his life without measure to include the excluded in salvation. This Paschal power, he insisted, illuminates the shadows of evil and empowers disciples to give life to others, not only in the biological realm, but in an “economy of solidarity,” the care of creation, and acts of listening and selfless help.
Particular emphasis was placed on the promotion of human life in its noblest expressions. “To bring forth life means to trust in the God of life and to promote humanity in all its forms: above all in the wonderful adventure of motherhood and fatherhood, even in social contexts where families struggle to bear the burden of daily life, often hindered in their plans and dreams,” explained Leo XIV. This call resonates urgently on a “sick” planet that needs “courage to live and to bring forth life,” bearing witness that God is the “lover of life.”
In his closing remarks, the Pope addressed a special message to the Polish pilgrims, encouraging them not to be afraid of family decisions: “May your families always have the courage to embrace motherhood and fatherhood. Do not be afraid to welcome and defend every unborn child: proclaim and serve the Gospel of life. God is ‘the one who loves life,’ so always surround it with care and love.” This heartfelt exhortation underscores the divine mission entrusted to humanity: to participate in creation in the image of God, through the mutual love between man and woman.
The Pope concluded by asking for prayers for his first apostolic journey, which begins tomorrow, Thursday, to Turkey and Lebanon, regions marked by geopolitical tensions and a cry for peace. “With the strength of the Resurrection, let us walk together toward a world where hope is not just a longing, but a lived certainty,” he implored, blessing the multicultural crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
This catechesis, which continues the series on hope, invites us to an ecological and social conversion: from resignation to boldness, from distrust to witness. In times of global uncertainty, the message of Leo XIV resonates like a balm: life, fragile yet fruitful, finds its fullness in the God who loves it immeasurably.