From the Website of Vatican
links https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-08/pope-leo-xiv-republic-san-marino-civil-leaders-human-person.html
Pope Leo: San Marino offers world an example of ‘care of human person’
Pope Leo XIV begins his pastoral visit to San Marino by meeting with civil authorities, and praises the world’s oldest Republic for offering an example of good politics aimed at the care of the human person.
By Devin Watkins
Pope Leo XIV traveled to the Republic of San Marino on Saturday, August 22, for a half-day pastoral visit, followed by a visit to the Italian city of Rimini in the afternoon.
He met first with the civil authorities of San Marino at the Public Palace, offering his gratitude to the Captains Regent, the two joint Heads of State, a tradition that dates back to 1243.
In his address, Pope Leo expressed his joy to visit the world’s oldest Republic, following in the footsteps of Pope St. John Paul II who visited in 1982 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2011.
Known as the “Most Serene Republic,” San Marino has remained rooted in its motto “Libertas” (Liberty), which the Pope said sums up its history and aspirations for the future.
“First, I wish to emphasize that there can be no true civil freedom without personal freedom—that is, without respect for and the promotion of the dignity of the human person, of which freedom is an essential component,” he said, noting that this freedom is “given and guaranteed by God.”
Pope Leo said promoting liberty means defending the realm of conscience, recalling the many men and women who have given their lives in martyrdom.
He pointed to St. Thomas More, Patron Saint of Statesmen and Politicians, as well as to the many people who stay true to their conscience and the freedom that comes from being children of God.
Freedom, he said, is fulfilled through “self-giving, communion, encounter, and dialogue,” and flows from the Triune God.
“This theological reference may perhaps seem excessive,” he said, “but I believe it is necessary today in the face of the idolatry that corrupts at their roots those political and economic projects presented in the name of freedom but which, in reality, are enslaved to idols and power.”
Listen to our report
Pope Leo XIV upheld the Christian vision of freedom and communion, which he said “stand or fall together.”
He recalled the founders of San Marino, St. Marinus and St. Leo, whose industriousness and ingenuity live on in the Republic’s people.
Liberty, added the Pope, involves an “unwavering commitment to active and constructive participation in building peace.”
He said San Marino and the Holy See share a desire for diplomacy and multilateralism to promote understanding among nations.
Pope Leo XIV then invited the Republic of San Marino to serve as a “laboratory of good politics,” drawing on the principles of Catholic social teaching, especially the pursuit of the common good, the universal destination of goods, the harmony between subsidiarity and solidarity, and social justice.
At the same time, he urged San Marino to pursue the central objective of “care of the human person,” expressed in the protection of every human life, from conception to natural death.
“This care for others has been a distinctive feature of San Marino’s history from its very beginnings,” he said. “As has been noted, it is evident in the tradition of welcome that, throughout the centuries, has never failed those who suffer or face hardship.”
The Pope recalled especially its support and hospitality offered to the Ukrainian people and its commitment to international humanitarian law at a time when it has come under increasing threat.
In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV thanked San Marino’s civil leaders and citizens for their courageous and far-sighted efforts on behalf of every person, calling them a fruit of the country’s Christian tradition.
Bible Lights Promotions - Home
Bible Lights Promotion
http://www.biblelightspromotions.co.nr
-----------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
Facebook
0 comments:
Post a Comment