Cooperation

German Catholic congress approves bondage group’s booth #Catholic An ecumenical working group promoting “consensual BDSM culture” will again exhibit at Germanyʼs Catholic Congress in Würzburg this week after organizers said its guidelines pose “no contradiction with the Catechism.”BDSM is an acronym that stands for “bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism.”“The Ecumenical Working Group BDSM and Christianity has been represented on the Kirchenmeile at several Catholic Congresses now,” Cosima Jagow-Duda, head of press and marketing at the Catholic Congress, told CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, in response to an inquiry.“All organizations with an explicitly Christian reference have this right in principle, provided they are not unconstitutional or hostile to specific groups.” The groupʼs guidelines, she added, contain “no contradiction with the Catechism.”The working group was founded in 1999, according to its own website. It also exhibited at the previous Catholic Congress in Erfurt in 2024.Organized by the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), the German Catholic Congress (Katholikentag) is a biennial gathering led by laypeople and representing the countryʼs main umbrella organization for lay Catholic associations. The 104th edition is taking place from May 13 to 17 in Würzburg under the motto “Have Courage, Stand Up!” Around 20,000 people are expected to attend the event, which features approximately 900 events across 50 venues.The approved booth is listed in the official program as stand number MW-R-07 on the Kirchenmeile — a German term meaning “Church Mile” — an exhibitor area where approximately 300 organizations present themselves to attendees.‘Out of the taboo corner’On its website, the working group describes itself as “Christians from various denominations who deal with eroticism and sexuality, particularly in the area of sadomasochistic sexual preferences.”Its published guidelines open with a “preamble on the relationship with God,” affirm belief in “the love and salvation through Jesus Christ,” and state that the group “accepts and lives the diverse and consensual BDSM culture.” The group has also said it wants to take the topic “out of the taboo corner.”Jagow-Duda told CNA Deutsch that applications for the Kirchenmeile “follow clear rules and guidelines” and that the organizers do not admit, for example, “right-wing extremist or anti-democratic groups.”The printed program book states, on page 58, that “a diversity of opinions that encourages and enriches discourse on the cohesion of society is expressly desired,” with limits “where discriminatory, racist, or antisemitic convictions are represented, expressions of group-related misanthropy, or an ideological distance from the free democratic constitutional order are to be expected.”“This concerns a booth where Christians are entering into conversation about their faith,” Jagow-Duda said.Other groups presenting on the Kirchenmeile whose positions stand in tension with Catholic teaching on sexuality include the Network of Catholic Lesbians, the LGBT initiative #OutInChurch, and the Ecumenical Working Group Homosexuals and Church.The official program also lists a “Queer worship service” on May 16 under the title “Life is colorful — diversity in the Church?!” and a Bible workshop titled “Reading the Bible queerly. Why G*D is a fan of diversity.”Pro-life panels rejected, association still presentThe eventʼs panel program, meanwhile, turned down three proposals on surrogacy, abortion, and end-of-life care from the countryʼs largest lay pro-life association, citing limited slots, even as the association maintains its own booth at the congress.The proposals were submitted by the Action for the Right to Life for All (ALfA) in cooperation with the Association of Catholic German Teachers (VkdL).The proposals' titles, according to the Catholic weekly Die Tagespost, were “Life Without a Child? Is Surrogacy the Solution on the Way to a Wished-For Child?”, “Taboo Topic Abortion — ‘I didnʼt want to abort, I had to,’” and “My Death and My Dignity — Autonomy and Human Dignity at the End of Life.”Britta Baas, a spokeswoman for the ZdK, told Die Tagespost that the rejections were made on “capacity grounds.” Two-thirds of all applications had to be turned down because only 40 panel slots were available, she said.The Catholic Congress leadership had set up a so-called “topic convention” before the nationwide call for proposals opened, which pre-selected the 40 panel themes. About three times as many applications were submitted as there were slots, Baas said, and “the panel working group commissioned by the Catholic Congress leadership then had to make a selection.”According to Die Tagespost, ALfA and VkdL had already secured several speakers for the proposed panels, including psychiatrist Christian Spaemann, surgeon and medical ethicist Kai Witzel, and the jurist Felix Böllmann of Alliance Defending Freedom International.The Catholic Congress will, however, host one panel on assisted suicide, titled “Quo Vadis Assisted Suicide? General Regulations and Individual Wishes,” with Social Democratic Party (SPD) parliamentarian Lars Castellucci and the president of the German Caritas Association, Eva Maria Welskop-Deffaa, among the discussants.ALfA itself will be present at the Catholic Congress with a booth on the Kirchenmeile, located in the “Social Cohesion” theme area. In parallel to the official program, the association is holding its own events in cooperation with the VkdL and Die Tagespost, including a lecture on end-of-life autonomy by Witzel, a presentation on international surrogacy by ALfA national chair Cornelia Kaminski, and a panel discussion with Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg on the relationship between the Catholic Church and the German pro-life movement.“The commitment to the protection of human life belongs at the heart of the Church,” Kaminski said in a May 8 statement. “The Catholic Congress is therefore an important place to enter into conversation with people, to present our work, and to make clear how many areas there are in which the right to life and human dignity are under threat — and how needed Church members are who commit themselves to this cause.”Catholic teaching on sexualityThe Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that sexual pleasure “is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes” (No. 2351).Chastity, the Catechism teaches, “involves the integrity of the person and the integrality of the gift” and is realized in “the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman” (No. 2337). It requires what the Catechism calls “an apprenticeship in self-mastery which is a training in human freedom” (No. 2339).Consent does not, in Catholic moral theology, automatically change the moral character of an act.
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German Catholic congress approves bondage group’s booth #Catholic An ecumenical working group promoting “consensual BDSM culture” will again exhibit at Germanyʼs Catholic Congress in Würzburg this week after organizers said its guidelines pose “no contradiction with the Catechism.”BDSM is an acronym that stands for “bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism.”“The Ecumenical Working Group BDSM and Christianity has been represented on the Kirchenmeile at several Catholic Congresses now,” Cosima Jagow-Duda, head of press and marketing at the Catholic Congress, told CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, in response to an inquiry.“All organizations with an explicitly Christian reference have this right in principle, provided they are not unconstitutional or hostile to specific groups.” The groupʼs guidelines, she added, contain “no contradiction with the Catechism.”The working group was founded in 1999, according to its own website. It also exhibited at the previous Catholic Congress in Erfurt in 2024.Organized by the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), the German Catholic Congress (Katholikentag) is a biennial gathering led by laypeople and representing the countryʼs main umbrella organization for lay Catholic associations. The 104th edition is taking place from May 13 to 17 in Würzburg under the motto “Have Courage, Stand Up!” Around 20,000 people are expected to attend the event, which features approximately 900 events across 50 venues.The approved booth is listed in the official program as stand number MW-R-07 on the Kirchenmeile — a German term meaning “Church Mile” — an exhibitor area where approximately 300 organizations present themselves to attendees.‘Out of the taboo corner’On its website, the working group describes itself as “Christians from various denominations who deal with eroticism and sexuality, particularly in the area of sadomasochistic sexual preferences.”Its published guidelines open with a “preamble on the relationship with God,” affirm belief in “the love and salvation through Jesus Christ,” and state that the group “accepts and lives the diverse and consensual BDSM culture.” The group has also said it wants to take the topic “out of the taboo corner.”Jagow-Duda told CNA Deutsch that applications for the Kirchenmeile “follow clear rules and guidelines” and that the organizers do not admit, for example, “right-wing extremist or anti-democratic groups.”The printed program book states, on page 58, that “a diversity of opinions that encourages and enriches discourse on the cohesion of society is expressly desired,” with limits “where discriminatory, racist, or antisemitic convictions are represented, expressions of group-related misanthropy, or an ideological distance from the free democratic constitutional order are to be expected.”“This concerns a booth where Christians are entering into conversation about their faith,” Jagow-Duda said.Other groups presenting on the Kirchenmeile whose positions stand in tension with Catholic teaching on sexuality include the Network of Catholic Lesbians, the LGBT initiative #OutInChurch, and the Ecumenical Working Group Homosexuals and Church.The official program also lists a “Queer worship service” on May 16 under the title “Life is colorful — diversity in the Church?!” and a Bible workshop titled “Reading the Bible queerly. Why G*D is a fan of diversity.”Pro-life panels rejected, association still presentThe eventʼs panel program, meanwhile, turned down three proposals on surrogacy, abortion, and end-of-life care from the countryʼs largest lay pro-life association, citing limited slots, even as the association maintains its own booth at the congress.The proposals were submitted by the Action for the Right to Life for All (ALfA) in cooperation with the Association of Catholic German Teachers (VkdL).The proposals' titles, according to the Catholic weekly Die Tagespost, were “Life Without a Child? Is Surrogacy the Solution on the Way to a Wished-For Child?”, “Taboo Topic Abortion — ‘I didnʼt want to abort, I had to,’” and “My Death and My Dignity — Autonomy and Human Dignity at the End of Life.”Britta Baas, a spokeswoman for the ZdK, told Die Tagespost that the rejections were made on “capacity grounds.” Two-thirds of all applications had to be turned down because only 40 panel slots were available, she said.The Catholic Congress leadership had set up a so-called “topic convention” before the nationwide call for proposals opened, which pre-selected the 40 panel themes. About three times as many applications were submitted as there were slots, Baas said, and “the panel working group commissioned by the Catholic Congress leadership then had to make a selection.”According to Die Tagespost, ALfA and VkdL had already secured several speakers for the proposed panels, including psychiatrist Christian Spaemann, surgeon and medical ethicist Kai Witzel, and the jurist Felix Böllmann of Alliance Defending Freedom International.The Catholic Congress will, however, host one panel on assisted suicide, titled “Quo Vadis Assisted Suicide? General Regulations and Individual Wishes,” with Social Democratic Party (SPD) parliamentarian Lars Castellucci and the president of the German Caritas Association, Eva Maria Welskop-Deffaa, among the discussants.ALfA itself will be present at the Catholic Congress with a booth on the Kirchenmeile, located in the “Social Cohesion” theme area. In parallel to the official program, the association is holding its own events in cooperation with the VkdL and Die Tagespost, including a lecture on end-of-life autonomy by Witzel, a presentation on international surrogacy by ALfA national chair Cornelia Kaminski, and a panel discussion with Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg on the relationship between the Catholic Church and the German pro-life movement.“The commitment to the protection of human life belongs at the heart of the Church,” Kaminski said in a May 8 statement. “The Catholic Congress is therefore an important place to enter into conversation with people, to present our work, and to make clear how many areas there are in which the right to life and human dignity are under threat — and how needed Church members are who commit themselves to this cause.”Catholic teaching on sexualityThe Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that sexual pleasure “is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes” (No. 2351).Chastity, the Catechism teaches, “involves the integrity of the person and the integrality of the gift” and is realized in “the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman” (No. 2337). It requires what the Catechism calls “an apprenticeship in self-mastery which is a training in human freedom” (No. 2339).Consent does not, in Catholic moral theology, automatically change the moral character of an act.

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Organizers of the Würzburg congress told EWTN News the group’s guidelines contain ‘no contradiction with the Catechism.’

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Pope Leo XIV: Vatican diplomats must be bridges and channels of peace #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on Monday outlined the qualities needed in priests who serve as Vatican diplomats, describing their work as a unique ministry that serves not only Catholics but also the entire human family in individual nations and international organizations.The pope made the remarks April 27 during a visit to the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, the Holy See’s school for training diplomats, on the occasion of the 325th anniversary of its founding.Leo recalled that a few years earlier, while serving as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, he had visited the academy and reflected on “the essential mission carried out by the alma mater of the pontifical diplomats.”“Today, almost a year after the start of my Petrine ministry, accompanied by the diligent commitment of the Secretariat of State and the pontifical representations,” he said, “I therefore look with deep gratitude upon the history of dedication and service that this joyful anniversary celebrates.”That history, the pope said, rooted in the very Catholicity of the Church, has included an unbroken chain of priests from various parts of the world who have contributed “with their humble efforts to the building of that unity in Christ which, amid the diversity of origins, makes communion a fundamental characteristic of the diplomatic service of the Holy See.”Referring to reforms made to the academy by Pope Francis in March 2025, Leo said the most important reform required of those entering the community is “a constant exercise in conversion, aimed at cultivating ‘closeness, attentive listening, witness, a fraternal approach, and dialogue … combined with humility and meekness.’”The pope said the gathering was an opportunity to outline some characteristics of the pontifical diplomatic priest, who participates in the ministry of the successor of Peter and serves peace, truth, and justice.The Vatican diplomat, he said, “must be, first of all, a messenger of the paschal proclamation ‘Peace be with you!’”“Even when the hopes for dialogue and reconciliation seem to vanish and peace ‘as the world gives it’ is trampled upon and put to the test,” Leo said, “you are called to continue to bring the word of the risen Christ to all. ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.’”Before trying to build peace “with our own meager strength,” the pope said, the mission of pontifical diplomats calls them to be bridges and channels for it, “so that the grace that comes from heaven may find its way through the vicissitudes of history.”Leo also said the papal diplomat, working in different cultural settings and international organizations, “is specifically assigned to bear witness to the truth that is Christ.”Such a diplomat, he said, must bring Christ’s message to the forum of nations and become “a sign of his love for that portion of humanity entrusted to his mission as a shepherd, even before that of a diplomat.”The pope also stressed the importance of clear language in diplomacy, citing his January address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See in which he said it is urgently necessary that “words once again … express distinct and clear realities unequivocally,” because “only in this way can authentic dialogue resume without misunderstandings.”“For this reason, too,” he told the students, “it is important that you bring to the world the Word of Life, who revealed himself not through the affirmation of abstract principles and ideas but by becoming flesh.”Leo reminded the academy’s students that they are preparing for a ministry “which is not limited to safeguarding the good of the Catholic community but extends to the entire human family living in a particular nation or participating in the work of various international organizations.”This, he said, requires them “to be promoters of all forms of justice that help to recognize, rebuild, and protect the image of God imprinted in every person.”“In the defense of human rights — among which the rights to religious freedom and to life are prominent — I therefore urge you to continue to show the way, not toward confrontation and demands but toward the protection of human dignity, the development of peoples and communities, and the promotion of international cooperation,” he said. “These are the only means that allow us to embark on authentic paths of peace.”The pope acknowledged that in a world marked by tensions, where conflict can appear to be the only way to address needs and demands, efforts at dialogue, listening, and reconciliation may seem insufficient, at times even futile.“This must not discourage us!” he said. “Let us continue to invoke with confidence the gift of Christ’s peace, without fear.”He assured the superiors and students that their ministry, at any time and in any place, will be “an instrument for promoting and safeguarding the dignity of every man and woman, created in the image and likeness of God, and for advancing the common good.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV: Vatican diplomats must be bridges and channels of peace #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on Monday outlined the qualities needed in priests who serve as Vatican diplomats, describing their work as a unique ministry that serves not only Catholics but also the entire human family in individual nations and international organizations.The pope made the remarks April 27 during a visit to the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, the Holy See’s school for training diplomats, on the occasion of the 325th anniversary of its founding.Leo recalled that a few years earlier, while serving as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, he had visited the academy and reflected on “the essential mission carried out by the alma mater of the pontifical diplomats.”“Today, almost a year after the start of my Petrine ministry, accompanied by the diligent commitment of the Secretariat of State and the pontifical representations,” he said, “I therefore look with deep gratitude upon the history of dedication and service that this joyful anniversary celebrates.”That history, the pope said, rooted in the very Catholicity of the Church, has included an unbroken chain of priests from various parts of the world who have contributed “with their humble efforts to the building of that unity in Christ which, amid the diversity of origins, makes communion a fundamental characteristic of the diplomatic service of the Holy See.”Referring to reforms made to the academy by Pope Francis in March 2025, Leo said the most important reform required of those entering the community is “a constant exercise in conversion, aimed at cultivating ‘closeness, attentive listening, witness, a fraternal approach, and dialogue … combined with humility and meekness.’”The pope said the gathering was an opportunity to outline some characteristics of the pontifical diplomatic priest, who participates in the ministry of the successor of Peter and serves peace, truth, and justice.The Vatican diplomat, he said, “must be, first of all, a messenger of the paschal proclamation ‘Peace be with you!’”“Even when the hopes for dialogue and reconciliation seem to vanish and peace ‘as the world gives it’ is trampled upon and put to the test,” Leo said, “you are called to continue to bring the word of the risen Christ to all. ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.’”Before trying to build peace “with our own meager strength,” the pope said, the mission of pontifical diplomats calls them to be bridges and channels for it, “so that the grace that comes from heaven may find its way through the vicissitudes of history.”Leo also said the papal diplomat, working in different cultural settings and international organizations, “is specifically assigned to bear witness to the truth that is Christ.”Such a diplomat, he said, must bring Christ’s message to the forum of nations and become “a sign of his love for that portion of humanity entrusted to his mission as a shepherd, even before that of a diplomat.”The pope also stressed the importance of clear language in diplomacy, citing his January address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See in which he said it is urgently necessary that “words once again … express distinct and clear realities unequivocally,” because “only in this way can authentic dialogue resume without misunderstandings.”“For this reason, too,” he told the students, “it is important that you bring to the world the Word of Life, who revealed himself not through the affirmation of abstract principles and ideas but by becoming flesh.”Leo reminded the academy’s students that they are preparing for a ministry “which is not limited to safeguarding the good of the Catholic community but extends to the entire human family living in a particular nation or participating in the work of various international organizations.”This, he said, requires them “to be promoters of all forms of justice that help to recognize, rebuild, and protect the image of God imprinted in every person.”“In the defense of human rights — among which the rights to religious freedom and to life are prominent — I therefore urge you to continue to show the way, not toward confrontation and demands but toward the protection of human dignity, the development of peoples and communities, and the promotion of international cooperation,” he said. “These are the only means that allow us to embark on authentic paths of peace.”The pope acknowledged that in a world marked by tensions, where conflict can appear to be the only way to address needs and demands, efforts at dialogue, listening, and reconciliation may seem insufficient, at times even futile.“This must not discourage us!” he said. “Let us continue to invoke with confidence the gift of Christ’s peace, without fear.”He assured the superiors and students that their ministry, at any time and in any place, will be “an instrument for promoting and safeguarding the dignity of every man and woman, created in the image and likeness of God, and for advancing the common good.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The pontiff said the Holy See’s diplomatic service is a unique ministry rooted in peace, truth, and justice and directed not only to Catholics but also to the entire human family.

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Pope Leo XIV in Algeria: ‘I am here among you as a pilgrim of peace’ #Catholic ALGIERS, Algeria — Pope Leo XIV on Monday presented himself to Algeria’s diplomatic corps and civil society as “a pilgrim of peace,” urging a more just international order, warning against exclusion and inequality, and praising those who refuse to be “blinded by power or wealth.”Peace remained the central theme of the pope’s first day in Algeria, following his earlier stop at the Martyrs’ Memorial, where he delivered an appeal for peace and reconciliation.Speaking in French at the Djamaa el Djazair Conference Center, Leo recalled his previous visits to Algeria in 2001 and 2013 to Annaba, the ancient see of St. Augustine, whose spiritual legacy has long shaped the Augustinian order to which the pope belongs.“I am here among you as a pilgrim of peace, eager to meet the noble Algerian people,” the pope said. “We are brothers and sisters, for we have the same Father in heaven.”Leo said the “profound religious sense of the Algerian people” fosters “a culture of encounter and reconciliation,” adding that his visit also seeks to be a sign of that spirit.“In a world full of conflicts and misunderstandings, let us meet and strive for mutual understanding, recognizing that we are one family!” he said. “Today, the simplicity of this awareness is the key to opening many doors that are closed.”Addressing an audience of about 1,400 people from civil society and the diplomatic corps, the pope praised the resilience of the Algerian people, saying they had never been defeated by their trials because of their spirit of solidarity, hospitality, and community.“They are the truly strong ones, to whom the future belongs: those who do not allow themselves to be blinded by power or wealth, and those who refuse to sacrifice the dignity of their fellow citizens for the sake of personal or collective gain,” he said.Leo also highlighted the Algerian understanding of hospitality and almsgiving, reflected in the word “sadaka,” which he noted can also mean justice.“The one who accumulates wealth and remains indifferent to others is unjust,” the pope said, calling this vision of justice both “simple and radical” because it recognizes the image of God in others. “Indeed, a religion without mercy and a society without solidarity are a scandal in God’s eyes.”At the same time, he warned that many societies that consider themselves advanced are falling ever deeper into inequality and exclusion, while “people and organizations that dominate others destroy the world.” He said Africa knows this reality well and suggested that Algeria’s historical experience gives it a critical perspective on global power balances.“If you are able to engage in dialogue regarding the concerns of all and show solidarity with the sufferings of so many countries near and far, then you will be able to contribute to both envisioning and bringing about greater justice among peoples,” Leo said.He added that this task is especially urgent “in the face of continuous violations of international law and neocolonial tendencies.”Drawing on the teaching of Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, Leo called on Algeria’s authorities not to fear a broader social participation by those on the margins.“I therefore urge those of you who hold positions of authority in this country not to fear this outlook but to promote a vibrant, dynamic, and free civil society, in which young people in particular are recognized as capable of helping to broaden the horizon of hope for all,” he said.“The true strength of a nation lies in the cooperation of everyone in pursuing the common good,” he continued. “Authorities are called not to dominate but to serve the people and foster their development.”The pope also pointed to Algeria’s unique role as “a bridge between North and South, and between East and West,” describing the Mediterranean and the Sahara as geographical and spiritual crossroads rich with human and cultural meaning.“Woe to us if we turn them into graveyards where hope also dies!” he said. “Let us multiply oases of peace; let us denounce and remove the causes of despair; and let us oppose those who profit from the misfortune of others!”“For illicit are the gains of those who exploit human life, whose dignity is inviolable,” he added.Leo then broadened his reflection to the place of religion in modern society, noting that Algeria, like much of the world, experiences tensions between religious sensibility and modern life. He warned against both fundamentalism and secularization when they distort the true sense of God and human dignity.“Religious symbols and words can become, on the one hand, blasphemous languages of violence and oppression, or on the other, empty signs in the immense marketplace of consumption that does not satisfy us,” he said.Still, the pope insisted that such polarization should not lead to despair.“We must educate people in critical thinking and freedom, in listening and dialogue, and in the trust that leads us to recognize in those who are different fellow travelers and not threats,” he said. “We must work toward the healing of memory and reconciliation among former adversaries.”In his introduction, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called Leo’s presence the first visit of a pope to Algeria and said it gave the occasion “a unique resonance.” He invoked both St. Augustine and Emir Abdelkader as enduring models at a time of accelerating change and weakening moral values.Tebboune also praised the pope’s moral authority and his support for social justice while reaffirming Algeria’s commitment to working with the Holy Father to promote dialogue, coexistence, and cooperation over division and conflict.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV in Algeria: ‘I am here among you as a pilgrim of peace’ #Catholic ALGIERS, Algeria — Pope Leo XIV on Monday presented himself to Algeria’s diplomatic corps and civil society as “a pilgrim of peace,” urging a more just international order, warning against exclusion and inequality, and praising those who refuse to be “blinded by power or wealth.”Peace remained the central theme of the pope’s first day in Algeria, following his earlier stop at the Martyrs’ Memorial, where he delivered an appeal for peace and reconciliation.Speaking in French at the Djamaa el Djazair Conference Center, Leo recalled his previous visits to Algeria in 2001 and 2013 to Annaba, the ancient see of St. Augustine, whose spiritual legacy has long shaped the Augustinian order to which the pope belongs.“I am here among you as a pilgrim of peace, eager to meet the noble Algerian people,” the pope said. “We are brothers and sisters, for we have the same Father in heaven.”Leo said the “profound religious sense of the Algerian people” fosters “a culture of encounter and reconciliation,” adding that his visit also seeks to be a sign of that spirit.“In a world full of conflicts and misunderstandings, let us meet and strive for mutual understanding, recognizing that we are one family!” he said. “Today, the simplicity of this awareness is the key to opening many doors that are closed.”Addressing an audience of about 1,400 people from civil society and the diplomatic corps, the pope praised the resilience of the Algerian people, saying they had never been defeated by their trials because of their spirit of solidarity, hospitality, and community.“They are the truly strong ones, to whom the future belongs: those who do not allow themselves to be blinded by power or wealth, and those who refuse to sacrifice the dignity of their fellow citizens for the sake of personal or collective gain,” he said.Leo also highlighted the Algerian understanding of hospitality and almsgiving, reflected in the word “sadaka,” which he noted can also mean justice.“The one who accumulates wealth and remains indifferent to others is unjust,” the pope said, calling this vision of justice both “simple and radical” because it recognizes the image of God in others. “Indeed, a religion without mercy and a society without solidarity are a scandal in God’s eyes.”At the same time, he warned that many societies that consider themselves advanced are falling ever deeper into inequality and exclusion, while “people and organizations that dominate others destroy the world.” He said Africa knows this reality well and suggested that Algeria’s historical experience gives it a critical perspective on global power balances.“If you are able to engage in dialogue regarding the concerns of all and show solidarity with the sufferings of so many countries near and far, then you will be able to contribute to both envisioning and bringing about greater justice among peoples,” Leo said.He added that this task is especially urgent “in the face of continuous violations of international law and neocolonial tendencies.”Drawing on the teaching of Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, Leo called on Algeria’s authorities not to fear a broader social participation by those on the margins.“I therefore urge those of you who hold positions of authority in this country not to fear this outlook but to promote a vibrant, dynamic, and free civil society, in which young people in particular are recognized as capable of helping to broaden the horizon of hope for all,” he said.“The true strength of a nation lies in the cooperation of everyone in pursuing the common good,” he continued. “Authorities are called not to dominate but to serve the people and foster their development.”The pope also pointed to Algeria’s unique role as “a bridge between North and South, and between East and West,” describing the Mediterranean and the Sahara as geographical and spiritual crossroads rich with human and cultural meaning.“Woe to us if we turn them into graveyards where hope also dies!” he said. “Let us multiply oases of peace; let us denounce and remove the causes of despair; and let us oppose those who profit from the misfortune of others!”“For illicit are the gains of those who exploit human life, whose dignity is inviolable,” he added.Leo then broadened his reflection to the place of religion in modern society, noting that Algeria, like much of the world, experiences tensions between religious sensibility and modern life. He warned against both fundamentalism and secularization when they distort the true sense of God and human dignity.“Religious symbols and words can become, on the one hand, blasphemous languages of violence and oppression, or on the other, empty signs in the immense marketplace of consumption that does not satisfy us,” he said.Still, the pope insisted that such polarization should not lead to despair.“We must educate people in critical thinking and freedom, in listening and dialogue, and in the trust that leads us to recognize in those who are different fellow travelers and not threats,” he said. “We must work toward the healing of memory and reconciliation among former adversaries.”In his introduction, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called Leo’s presence the first visit of a pope to Algeria and said it gave the occasion “a unique resonance.” He invoked both St. Augustine and Emir Abdelkader as enduring models at a time of accelerating change and weakening moral values.Tebboune also praised the pope’s moral authority and his support for social justice while reaffirming Algeria’s commitment to working with the Holy Father to promote dialogue, coexistence, and cooperation over division and conflict.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The pontiff called for a world order that does not exclude the vulnerable and urged leaders to serve the common good.

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