His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at the Jubilee of Prisoners: Flowers can bloom even in prisons
His Holiness Pope Leo XIV presides over Mass on Gaudete Sunday and during the Jubilee of Prisoners (@Vatican Media)
During his Homily on the Sunday of the Jubilee of Prisoners, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV challenges both inmates and those responsible for the prisons to hold on to hope and he reminds everyone “that no human being is defined only by his or her actions and that justice is always a process of reparation and reconciliation.”
By Kielce Gussie
On the third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV celebrated Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. In his homily, the Holy Father reflected on the word “Gaudete”. He explained the “joy” of this Sunday reminds us of "the bright dimension of waiting: the trust that something beautiful, something joyful, will happen.”
14 December also marked the Jubilee of Hope for prisoners and all those who work in prisons. His Holiness Pope Leo XIV recalled that 26 December last year, his predecessor His Holiness Pope Francis opened the Holy Door inside Rome's Rebibbia prison, urging his listeners to "throw open the doors of your heart.”
On that occasion, His Holiness Pope Francis also urged everyone to be generous “workers of justice and charity in the environments where we live.”
There is still hope
With the Jubilee Year of Hope coming to a close, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV stressed that, despite efforts that have been made, “much remains to be done in the prison world.” He acknowledged the prisons are challenging environments, and “even the best intentions may encounter many obstacles.”
Yet, he argued it is specifically for this reason that we must all avoid growing tired or discouraged. Rather, the Holy Father stressed that we must persevere. “Many still fail to understand that from every fall, one must be able to rise again,” Pope Leo explained. “No human being is defined by what they have done, and justice is always a process of repair and reconciliation.”
If we create and keep safe spaces for sensitivity, attention to others’ needs, respect, mercy and forgiveness to flourish—even in the most difficult times—“beautiful flowers bloom, and even within the prison walls, unique gestures, projects, and encounters mature in their humanity.”
This is essential for those living without their freedom, the Pope stressed, but it is also important for those who represent justice for inmates. This Jubilee “is a call to conversion, and precisely for this reason, it is a source of hope and joy.”
Keep compassion at the center
To achieve this, it is necessary to first look to Jesus, His humanity, and His Kingdom as reminders that miracles can happen through extraordinary interventions by God. However, Pope Leo highlighted, “more often they are entrusted to us, to our compassion, our attention, our wisdom, and the responsibility of our communities and institutions.”
He noted how we are all also called to foster, in all areas—and, today, particularly in prisons—a society rooted in new values, with a strong focus on compassion.
For this reason, the Holy Father pointed out how Pope Francis wanted this Holy Year to offer “forms of amnesty or remission of penalties might be granted to help people regain trust in themselves and in society”…
This report was originally published on the Website of Vatican News. Please click here to read the full text.