VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV, in an address Monday to an interfaith meeting between Catholic and Muslim representatives at the Vatican, called on both groups to embrace their “rich” traditions to “revive humanity” by helping the marginalized.
During remarks for the 8th Colloquium between the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, which promotes dialogue between Christians and Muslims, the pontiff encouraged representatives from both faiths to draw from the “richness of their traditions” and work toward their purported “common mission” to “revive humanity” by caring for the poor and marginalized. Pope Leo has made several notable interfaith gestures toward Muslims in recent weeks.
“The Muslim tradition associates compassion, ra’fa, with mercy as a gift bestowed by God in the hearts of believers, and one of the divine names, al-Ra’uf, reminds us that compassion always has its origin in God himself,” Leo said.
“Similarly, in the Christian tradition, Sacred Scripture reveals a God who does not remain indifferent to suffering but says to Moses, ‘I have seen the misery of my people … I have heard their cry’ (Ex 3:7),” he added. “In Jesus Christ, this divine compassion becomes visible and tangible. God goes beyond seeing and hearing by taking on our human nature in order to become the living embodiment of compassion.”
READ: Pope Leo urges Christians to be ‘less fearful’ of Islam, encourages ‘dialogue’ with Muslims
The pontiff stressed that compassion and empathy for the marginalized are in danger of disappearing in modern times due to advances in technology.
“Technological advances have made us more connected than ever before, but they can also lead to indifference,” he said. “The constant flow of images and videos of the hardships of others can dull our hearts rather than stir them. This type of apathy is becoming one of the most serious spiritual challenges of our time.”
Pope Leo then called on the Christians and Muslims in attendance to draw from the “richness” of their respective traditions and work toward a “common mission” to assist the poor and thus “revive humanity.”
“In such a context, Christians and Muslims, drawing from the richness of our respective traditions, are called to a common mission: to revive humanity where it has grown cold, to give voice to those who suffer and to transform indifference into solidarity,” the pontiff said. “Compassion and empathy can be our instruments as they have the power to restore the dignity of the other.”
During the first year of his pontificate, and especially in recent weeks, Pope Leo has repeatedly made numerous interfaith gestures toward Muslims while at least publicly not affirming that Jesus Christ is the one true God and that the Catholic Church He founded is the one true Church.
During an April visit to Algiers, Algeria, Leo visited the Great Mosque of Algiers, identified as the third largest mosque in the world after those in Mecca and Medina. According to Vatican sources, the pope removed his shoes in accordance with protocol and remained inside for several minutes, including a period described as “silent reflection” near the mihrab, an architectural feature indicating the direction of Mecca.
READ: Pope Leo XIV calls Algiers mosque ‘space proper to God,’ makes silent prayer with imam
He also met privately with the mosque’s rector, to whom he expressed gratitude for being present in what he described as “a place that represents the space proper to God.”
That same day, the Holy Father published a message on the social media platform X, calling for “communion between Christians and Muslims” under the patronage of the Virgin Mary, and presenting this as a sign of unity in a world marked by division and conflict.
In Catholic theology, “communion” ordinarily denotes participation in the same faith, sacraments, and ecclesial unity. According to the Gospel, no communion is possible with those who deny Jesus Christ as God, Lord, and Savior: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).