Pope Leo XIV in response to a young woman in France:

The fact that many are indifferent to the question of God is, indeed, a problem, but so too is the fact that many are indifferent to the question of humanity. Sadly, how many people show no concern for their neighbors, lead selfish lives, look down on the poor while squandering their wealth on trivial things. How many reject the weak and the infirm, thinking that a person’s worth lies solely in what they produce. Consider your commitment in the working-class neighborhoods of Île-de-France, in La Cité Céleste: it is there, in the concrete realities of daily life, and sometimes in the midst of difficulties, that your faith becomes a vibrant witness to hope.

Humanity goes astray when it claims that God is dead. Without God, we have no salvation and we lose the meaning of our existence, which is reduced to a dead end or to nothingness. Conversely, those who say, “For me, to live is Christ!” experience the exact opposite. Indeed, in Christ we know that God is never indifferent to humanity! Through Jesus, crucified and risen, God gives his own life so that we may live. The way to proclaim Christ courageously yet respectfully is to proclaim him as the Gospel of salvation, as the word of truth and life. The Gospel is good news for all, a liberating message, and a guide for new life.

The Gospel of Jesus does not lead to conflict, but always invites us to forgive. While shedding light on the drama of history, it fosters fraternal concern. Encountering Christ opens the way to dialogue and prepares us for his peace, for it offers every man and woman the greatest promise, the one that fulfills our every desire, namely the promise of eternal life.

Thanks to him, we can combine missionary zeal with the spirit of fraternity toward those who do not believe in God or who belong to other religious traditions. This fraternity is built on listening and mutual respect, and is rooted in the unity of the human family, which throughout history has expressed the religious dimension as a vital characteristic of every people.

Cultivating a fraternal bond with those who do not share our faith thus contributes to the building of society. Furthermore, it is a way practicing faith and charity, for it is impossible to bear witness to Christ without loving those to whom we wish to proclaim him.