Piotr Kowalczuk
We are family
The Pope recalled that this was his third visit to Algeria. Twice, as a spiritual son of St. Augustine, he visited Annaba, ancient Hippo, where the saint served as bishop. “I come to you as a pilgrim of peace,” he said. “We are brothers and sisters because we have the same Father in heaven: the deep sense of religiosity of the Algerian people is the secret of a culture of encounter and reconciliation, of which my visit is also a sign,” added the Holy Father.
“In a world full of clashes and misunderstandings, let us meet and try to understand each other, recognizing that we are one family!” he emphasized.
Life without mercy and solidarity is a scandal in the eyes of God
Leo XIV pointed to the numerous testimonies of solidarity, hospitality, community, and mercy given by the Algerian people. He said that those who do not allow themselves to be blinded by power and wealth, who do not act for personal or group prosperity, are strong people who determine the future: “Unjust is he who accumulates wealth and remains indifferent to others,” he said. “Religion without mercy and social life without solidarity are a scandal in the eyes of God,” he added. He pointed out that many societies that consider themselves developed are sinking deeper into inequality and exclusion: “Individuals and organizations that dominate others – Africa knows this well – destroy the world, created for us to live together.”
We must co-create a new course of history
Not by multiplying misunderstandings and conflicts, but by respecting the dignity of every human being and being sensitive to the suffering of others – said Leo XIV – can we influence a new course of history, which today, in the face of constant violations of international law and neocolonial temptations, is more urgent than ever before.
Leo XIV referred to the words of Benedict XIV, who warned that poorly managed globalization could lead to increased poverty and inequality, as well as a worldwide crisis. He also recalled Pope Francis’ encyclical “Fratelli tutti”: “We must think about social, political, and economic engagement in such a way that we create new forms of participation that include popular movements, revitalize local structures, and involve the excluded in building a common destiny.”
Promote civil society
The Pope encouraged those in power to support a vibrant, dynamic, and free civil society that gives everyone, especially young people, hope for the future: “Those in power are called not to dominate, but to serve the people and their development. Political action therefore finds its criterion in justice, without which there is no true peace.”
The Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara as a place of enrichment for nations and cultures – Leo XIV pointed out and warned: “Woe to us if we turn them into cemeteries where hope dies!”
“Let us multiply oases of peace, reveal and remove the causes of despair, fight against those who enrich themselves at the expense of others’ misfortune! For the profits of those who speculate on human life, whose dignity is inviolable, are illegal,” emphasized the Holy Father.
“No” to fundamentalism and secularization
The Pope pointed out that in Algeria too there are tensions between religious sentiment and modern life, which often reveals two opposing dynamics: fundamentalism and secularization, through which many lose an authentic sense of God and the dignity of His creatures.
“Then religious symbols and words can become, on the one hand, a blasphemous language of violence and oppression, and on the other, signs already devoid of meaning in the great market of consumption that does not satisfy,” noted Leo XIV.
He added that these “absurd polarizations” should not frighten, but should be wisely confronted. The Pope encouraged educating young people in the spirit of critical thinking and freedom, listening, dialogue, and trust, which allows one to see in the other a fellow traveler, not a threat.
