Saint Joseph Catholic Church

The Pontiff made his remarks in an address to participants an interparliamentary conference on combating organized crime and drug trafficking.

“The Holy See wholeheartedly supports every initiative that seeks to establish an effective, just, humane and credible criminal justice system capable of preventing and countering the production and the trafficking of illicit drugs,” Pope Leo continued. “Recognizing that true justice cannot be satisfied with punishment alone, such efforts must likewise embrace approaches marked by perseverance and mercy, aimed at the re-education and full reintegration of offenders into the fabric of society.”

The Pope added, “The same respect for the inherent dignity of every person, including those who have committed crimes, precludes the use of the death penalty, torture, and every form of cruel or degrading punishment.”

He explained:

For both to be authentic, they must find unity in the One who is both Truth and Love: only Jesus. I am told that parents often feel pressure from peers and even from professionals to “love” their children by affirming all their choices. But not all choices can be affirmed. The dignity of the person is what we affirm. The immeasurable offer of grace that Jesus is constantly offering is what we affirm. Likewise, His open invitation to return to Him whenever we have sinned, and then to return again and again, is what we need to affirm.

We witness to this by our own acceptance of our limitations, our own reliance on the grace that leads to conversion, our own willingness to grow from mistakes. This more nuanced approach to parenting is far too rare in our relativistic society.

Characterizing the amendment as a threat to “the moral and institutional foundations upon which national life rests,” the bishops’ conference “several provisions of [the amendment] undermine foundational constitutional principles, weaken institutional independence, diminish direct democratic participation, and erode constitutional safeguards against the concentration and abuse of power.”

In a letter to Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II for the Day of Coptic-Catholic Friendship (May 10), Pope Leo XIV said that “at a time when our world is afflicted by so many conflicts, particularly in the Middle East, Christians must, more than ever, strive for full unity so that we may bear witness together to the Prince of Peace.”

At the conclusion of his May 13 general audience, Pope Leo XIV recalled Our Lady of Fátima’s message of peace.