By Barb Arland-Fye
Editorial
In his greeting to the world from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, our new Pope Leo XIV opened wide the window of his vision to lead us: “All of us are in God’s hands. So, let us move forward, without fear, together, hand in hand with God and with one another! We are followers of Christ. Christ goes before us. The world needs his light. Humanity needs him as the bridge that can lead us to God and his love. Help us, one and all, to build bridges through dialogue and encounter, joining together as one people, always at peace” (Vatican News).
The Holy Father also calls us to “seek together how to be a missionary Church … always open to welcome, like this square, with open arms for everyone, all those who need our charity, our presence, dialogue and love.”
Pope Leo anticipates our active participation with him in living out the joy of the Gospel in a world so bitterly divided that we’re building barriers rather than bridges, war instead of peace and animosity over love. His message is a clarion call that requires our cooperation through prayer, participation in the sacraments and liturgy, and actions that depend on humility and a willingness to place the needs of others before our own. We must lean into the Holy Spirit to guide us, as does Pope Leo in leading us in this mission.
In a homily he gave during Mass on Good Shepherd Sunday (May 11) in the Vatican Grottoes, Pope Leo emphasized the importance of listening to God’s Word and to one another. “Listening is what allows us to enter into true dialogue,” he said, which provides the foundation for building bridges. “We have to know how to listen — not to judge, not to shut doors as if we hold all the truth and no one else has anything to offer,” he said. “From this posture of humility,” he added, “will come greater clarity about where the Lord is calling us” (Vatican News, 5-11-25).
To listen begins with an encounter. What are some concrete ideas for entering into an encounter? The request of a woman in our diocese whose husband has been battling brain tumors for more than 14 years offers a good start. She is asking her Facebook friends and others to, among other things:
- Do a good deed or random act of kindness for anyone. “The world could use more kindness,” she says.
- Pick one day this month to accept anyone that surrounds you, unconditionally. Don’t judge family, friends, coworkers, strangers, anyone. Offer no judgment for a whole day. The world needs more unconditional acceptance and less judgment.”
Engaging in genuine dialogue and encounter, building bridges and making peace are actions intertwined and dependent on each other. Some other suggestions for our response:
- Pray. “The peace given in prayer draws us into God, quieting our anxieties, challenging our old values and deepening wells of new energy. It arouses in us a compassionate love for all humanity and gives us heart to persevere beyond frustration, suffering and defeat. We should never forget that peace is not merely something that we ourselves as creatures do and can accomplish, but it is, in the ultimate analysis, a gift and a grace from God” (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops,
(usccb.org/resources/harvest-justice-sown-peace).
- Discern. Read the U.S. bishops’ excellent guide “Civil Dialogue: A response to Jesus’ call to love our neighbor” (https://tinyurl.com/mthj5y7x). Referring to the parable of the Good Samaritan, the bishops ask us to consider, “How often do we see our neighbor in the person who disagrees with us?”
- Study. Read these papal encyclicals, “Pacem in Terris,” by St. John XXIII (https://tinyurl.com/ycb68fva), “Evangelii Gaudium” by Pope Francis (https://tinyurl.com/2uz52art) and “Rerum Novarum” by Pope Leo XIII (https://tinyurl.com/2p9zehkb), which shape Pope Leo XIV’s approach to his pontificate.
- Advocate. Follow and respond to action alerts regarding such issues as the federal budget and elements of it, including Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP and other programs that aid people in need. Visit the Iowa Catholic Conference website (iowacatholicconference.org), the USCCB website (usccb.org) and the Iowa Legislature (legis.iowa.gov/) for action alerts and legislative updates.
Let us welcome Pope Leo XIV and walk with him as a Church committed to building bridges, making peace and engaging in encounters that unite us in Christ.
Barb Arland-Fye, Editor
arland-fye@davenportdiocese.org
