Anyone who has studied even a little Latin knows that the word religio, or religion, comes from the verb religere, meaning “to gather” or “to bring together.” By its very nature, then, religion is meant to be a force of unity, a vocation that draws people closer to one another. Yet in today’s world, the opposite often occurs. We live in an age marked by conflict and polarization, where religion is too often twisted to serve the logic of division. When used merely as a banner of identity, it risks becoming, in some cases, a banner of war.
In his prayer intention for this month, Pope Leo XIV invites us to respond to this reality by asking the Lord to help all believers, not only Christians but also those from every religious tradition, to guide humanity back to the right path: the path of peace, justice, and human fraternity.
The meaning of the prayer intention offered by Leo XIV is that collaboration among believers is not a task reserved for theologians and experts, but something sustained by the concrete, daily commitment of each one of us. The Pope prays that we may learn “to recognize each other as brothers and sisters, called to live, pray, work, and dream together,” and he invokes the Holy Spirit so that “we may recognize what unites us” and “collaborate without destroying.” He reminds us that different religious traditions are called to be “a leaven of unity in a fragmented world.” They should never be “used as weapons or walls, but rather lived as bridges and prophecy.”
This prayer intention comes as we mark the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the declaration of the Second Vatican Council that reshaped the Catholic Church’s relationship with other religions and opened new paths of dialogue, respect, and collaboration. Yet many challenges remain, especially in the ordinary rhythm of daily life. How much do we truly know about other religious traditions, and to what extent do we still remain captive to prejudice? How often do we actively seek to work alongside non-Christians in advancing the values that unite us?
Through the witness of the Focolare Movement and Caritas Singapore, this month’s Pope Video reminds us that this vision is not a utopia. These “concrete examples of peace, justice, and fraternity among religions,” concludes Leo XIV, “encourage us to believe that it is truly possible to live and work together beyond our differences.”
Andrea Sarubbi
Coordinator, The Pope Video