The pontiff warned that constant exposure to images of suffering can “dull our hearts rather than stir them.”
Pope Leo XIV called on Christians and Muslims to resist the growing danger of apathy in modern society, warning May 11 that the constant stream of images of human suffering can “dull our hearts rather than stir them” and urging believers to “transform indifference into solidarity.”
The pope made the appeal during an audience with participants in the eighth colloquium between the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, held under the theme “Human Compassion and Empathy in Modern Times.”
In his address in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father said compassion and empathy are essential for “what it means to live a truly human life.”
The pope noted that the Muslim tradition associates compassion with mercy, “as a gift bestowed by God in the hearts of believers,” and that compassion “always has its origin in God himself.”
Likewise, he said, the Christian tradition’s sacred Scripture “reveals a God who does not remain indifferent to suffering.”
“In Jesus Christ, this divine compassion becomes visible and tangible,” he said. “God goes beyond seeing and hearing by taking on our human nature in order to become the living embodiment of compassion.”
Following Jesus’ example, Leo said, Christian compassion “becomes a sharing in or ‘suffering with’ others, particularly the most disadvantaged.”
“For our traditions, human compassion and empathy are not something additional or optional but are a call from God to reflect his goodness in our daily lives,” the pope said.
Addressing Jordan’s Prince Hasan bin Talal, who was present at the audience, the Holy Father expressed appreciation “for the generous efforts of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in welcoming refugees and assisting those in need in difficult circumstances.”
Leo lamented that “compassion and empathy are sadly in danger of disappearing today” in a society marked by technological advances that, in his view, “have made us more connected than ever before, but they can also lead to indifference.”
“The constant flow of images and videos of the hardships of others can dull our hearts rather than stir them,” he warned.
In the face of this reality, Leo said Christians and Muslims 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.”
“Compassion and empathy can be our instruments as they have the power to restore the dignity of the other,” the pope added.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News’ Spanish-language sister service. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
