Dear friends of Caritas Brentwood,

Welcome to our first Papal Insights! Similar to our Caritas Round-Up, we aim to release these each month to collect some of the remarks from our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV that coincide with our mission at Caritas Diocese of Brentwood. Some may be spiritual, some may be practical, but we hope that they all prove to be inspiring, affirming and possibly even challenging. 

This month we have small selection of reflections, touching on the themes of some core principles of Catholic Social Teaching, care for our common home, and what Justice means from the lens of the Christian life.

Homily

5th September, Inauguration of Borgo Laudato Si’

Our first reflection comes from the 5th September, taken from a homily during the Mass celebrating the Inauguration of Borgo Laudato Si’ (‘Laudato Si’ Village’). Borgo Laudato Si’ is a project, originally commissioned by the late Pope Francis, tasked with demonstrating the practical aspects of the principles of his 2013 encyclical Laudato Si’ on the grounds of Castel Gandolfo (a papal residence). 

During the inauguration Mass, notably the Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass using the new formulary for the Votive Mass for Care for Creation (Missa pro custodia creationis). Following the gospel (Matthew 6:24-34), the Holy Father reflected on how the gospel reading seemed to hearken back to the Creation story in Genesis, and how – since we have the privilege of being made in the image and likeness of God – we have a “great responsibility” and duty to care for the other creatures that God has entrusted to our stewardship. 

The Pope referred to care for creation as a “true vocation for every human being”, echoing the late Pope Francis when he said that our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is “not an optional or secondary aspect of our Christian experience” (Laudato Si’, 217). Importantly, however, Pope Leo added that we must acknowledge that we ourselves are not separate from Creation, rather we are a part of it. Reflecting directly on the words of Laudato Si’, Pope Leo quoted Francis, saying “it is important to ‘recover a serene harmony with creation, reflecting on our lifestyle and our ideals, and contemplating the Creator who lives among and surrounds us.’”

To read the full homily, click here>>

Audience

20th September, Jubilee of Justice

A couple of weeks later, the Pope commemorated the Jubilee of Justice on Saturday 20th September, as part of the Church’s ongoing Jubilee Year celebrations. During these celebrations, our Pontiff offered an address to those in attendance. He spoke of the concept of evangelical justice – justice in light of the gospel – contrasting it against what he referred to as “human justice”. 

Pope Leo was clear in stating that Justice must never simply be the punishment of an individual or group, but rather evangelical justice impels human justice “towards the pursuit of reconciliation.” Similar to Michael’s remarks on his experience of the NJPN Conference this year, the Holy Father stated that “evil…must be repaired”. 

As Catholics, we believe that we are invited by God to co-operate with him in the sanctification of all creation. This does not simply mean the ministration of the sacraments (important as they are), but also re-centring Christ and placing him at the heart of everything – our homes, friendships, work, etc.  

By placing Christ at the centre of justice, we are making it more than a punishment for wrongdoing, but we are elevating the “well-being of individuals and the common good”. A just society is a society where “each person is given their due, until equality in dignity and opportunity” is achieved between all people. 

To read the full audience address, click here>>

Angelus

21st September

Lastly, on the 21st Pope Leo delivered his typical Sunday Angelus address to the crowds at St Peter’s Square. In this address, he took the time to draw out some reflections form gospel reading of that day: the Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1-13). 

The Pope spoke about the words of the gospel and how it gives us pause to assess our use of materials goods and how we spend our lives. He invited us to reflect personally on ho we manage our material wealth and goods, and the resources God has given us through creation. The Holy Father said that we could use these gifts and “follow the way of selfishness”, but this approach “isolates us from other sna dpsread the poison of competitions, which often fuels conflict.” The remedy to this being that we recognise as a “gift from God, to be managed and used as an instrument for sharing – to create networks of friendship and solidarity…” 

Reading this Angelus address in light of Catholic Social Teaching, we can see that the Pope is linking together a number of principles as he interprets the message of the Gospel reading. Pointing us towards stewardship of creation (“how are we managing the materials goods, the resources of the earth and our very lives that God has entrusted to us?”); the Pontiff also connects this aspect of the Church’s teaching to another: the preferential option for the poor and the universal destination of goods. This is the belief that everyone must have access to the necessities to build a dignified life – no one should be excluded from the material goods and resources we have been given. 

To read the full Angelus address, click here>>