At his Nov. 19 general audience, Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics to “connect faith with reality,” saying that the death and resurrection of Christ form the foundation of an integral ecology and the Christian call to care for creation.
“The death and resurrection of Jesus, therefore, are the foundation of a spirituality of integral ecology, without which the words of faith remain unconnected to reality and the words of science remain outside the heart,” he said.
Continuing his catechesis series on the Resurrection and the challenges of the contemporary world, the pope rooted his reflection in the Gospel of John, which recounts that Mary Magdalene did not immediately recognize the risen Christ at the empty tomb, mistaking him for the gardener. That detail, he said, highlights the continuous “turning” of conversion.
“The fact that Mary turned that Easter morning is a sign of this: Only through conversion upon conversion do we pass from this valley of tears to the new Jerusalem,” he said.
Cultivating and caring for the garden, the pope added, is the original task brought to fulfillment by Jesus. “His last word on the cross — ‘It is finished’ — invites each one to rediscover that same task, our task.” If the human person is not a caretaker of the garden, he warned, “he becomes its destroyer,” citing Laudato Si’ on the need for a contemplative gaze upon creation.
The pope said Christian hope responds to the ecological and social challenges facing humanity, recognizing the Crucified One as the seed “placed in the garden” to rise and bear abundant fruit. Many people today, he observed, including young people, “have heard the cry of the poor and of the earth, allowing their hearts to be touched.”
“These challenges cannot be faced alone,” he said, adding that tears “are a gift of life when they purify our eyes and free our sight. Paradise is not lost, but found.”
Appeal for the ‘survival and continuity’ of contemplative life
During the same audience, Pope Leo issued a strong appeal for concrete Church-wide support for communities of contemplative life, calling their mission “silent, fruitful, and irreplaceable.”
He recalled that on Nov. 21, the memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Italy will celebrate “Pro Orantibus” Day dedicated to those who consecrate their lives to prayer.
He urged Catholics not to let contemplative men and women lack “the concrete solidarity and effective help of the ecclesial community to ensure the survival and continuity of their silent, fruitful, and irreplaceable apostolate.”
Prayers for fishermen and a look ahead to 2026
The pope also noted that World Fisheries Day will be celebrated Friday, entrusting all who work at sea to Mary: “May Mary, Star of the Sea, protect fishermen and their families.”
Looking to the future, he highlighted a Vatican event for children scheduled for Sept. 25–27, 2026, saying he looks forward to “the joy of meeting them.”
As he concluded the audience, the pope greeted young people, the sick, and newlyweds. He reminded the faithful that the Church will celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King this Sunday, urging newly married couples to place Christ “at the center of your matrimonial journey.”
This story was first published in two parts by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
