{"id":119110,"date":"2025-10-07T08:31:36","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T06:31:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lasalle.org\/?p=119110"},"modified":"2025-10-07T08:31:36","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T06:31:36","slug":"pope-leo-xiv-that-religions-might-be-the-yeast-of-unity-in-a-fragmented-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lasalle.org\/en\/pope-leo-xiv-that-religions-might-be-the-yeast-of-unity-in-a-fragmented-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Pope Leo XIV: \u201cThat religions might be the yeast of unity in a fragmented world"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As the 60th anniversary of the conciliar document\u00a0Nostra Aetate\u00a0occurs during the month of October, the Pope dedicates his prayer intention to collaboration between different religious traditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMay religions,\u201d Pope Leo XIV says, \u201cnot be used as weapons or walls, but rather lived as bridges and prophecy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet us pray that believers in different religious traditions might work together to defend and promote peace, justice and human fraternity.\u201d His intention, which the Pope entrusts once again this month to the\u00a0<\/span>Pope\u2019s Worldwide Prayer Network<\/b><\/a>\u00a0is proposed at a time marked by conflicts and polarization in which religions sometimes bow to the logic of opposition. The Pope invites us instead to rediscover in religion a bridge of fraternity and a reconciling force.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

Not weapons or walls, but bridges and prophecy<\/b><\/h2><\/div>

The profound meaning of the prayer read by Pope Leo XIV is that collaboration among believers not be relegated to theologians and experts, but nourished by concrete and daily commitment involving every one of us. In fact, the Pope prays that we might learn \u201c<\/span>to recognize ourselves as brothers and sisters<\/b>, called to live, pray, work, and dream together.\u201d\u00a0He also invokes the Spirit that \u201cwe might recognize what unites us\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201ccollaborate without destroying.\u201d\u00a0The different religious traditions are called to be \u201cthe yeast of unity in a fragmented world.\u201d\u00a0He continues, recalling that the contrary is often the case: \u201cinstead of uniting us, is become a cause of confrontation.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hence, his invitation is extended to all believers, Christians and non-Christians. He exhorts, \u201c<\/span>May religions not be used as weapons or walls, but rather lived as bridges and prophecy<\/b>,\u201d and then continues, citing\u00a0<\/span>\u201cconcrete examples of peace, justice and fraternity\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i>already present.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

From above and below<\/b><\/h2><\/div>

The Video recounts various concrete examples that intertwine with moments \u201cfrom above\u201d and initiatives \u201cfrom below.\u201d On the one hand, historical milestones on the interreligious journey: the\u00a0<\/span>historic meeting organized by Pope John Paul II in Assisi in 1986<\/b>;\u00a0<\/span>Pope Benedict XVI\u2019s visit to the Synagogue in Rome in 2010<\/b>; the\u00a0<\/span>signing of the Document on Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi in 2019<\/b>\u00a0under Pope Francis\u2019 pontificate; up to the\u00a0<\/span>most recent ecumenical meetings of Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, however, this month\u2019s prayer intention recalls that interreligious dialogue cannot be limited to meetings with leaders. This is why the images in the video highlight experiences organized on the local level or by ecclesial organizations: the interreligious meeting organized in Singapore in April 2025 by Caritas and the Archdiocese to commemorate Earth Day; or the\u00a0<\/span>\u201cOne Human Family\u201d\u00a0<\/b>event organized by the Focolari Movement between May and June 2024. These are two recent and concrete signs of dialogue that create proximity, trust, and daily cooperation<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>