During a Holy Week audience, Pope Leo XIV highlights the responsibility of civic leaders to serve the common good, uphold human dignity, and care for the most vulnerable.
By Vatican News Pope Leo XIV addressed a delegation from the Illinois Municipal League, during a meeting on the 30th of March, held in the context of Holy Week. Welcoming the delegation, the Pope recalled that Holy Week commemorates “the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus,” through which “even the most difficult and challenging circumstances can be transformed from within by the power of love.” While suffering cannot always be avoided, he said, it can take on meaning that restores dignity and opens the way to new life. Turning to the role of civic leaders, Pope Leo XIV stressed that authority must be understood as service. Referring to the example of Christ, who came “not to be served but to serve,” he described this model as both “a beacon and a challenge” for those in governance. The Illinois Municipal League represents around 1,300 municipalities across the US state of Illinois. Based in Springfield, the state capital, it serves as a collective voice for local governments both at the state level and in Washington, DC, Its governing board is composed primarily of mayors from across the state. The Pope stated that “as men and women charged with the role of governance, you too are called to discover and exemplify the gift of service.” He added that leaders “are called to be attentive to the needs of the weakest and the most vulnerable in order to assist them towards an integral human development.” Quoting the Venerable Giorgio La Pira, the former mayor of Florence, the Pope recalled that public officials have a duty to act concretely to address hardship. He said “mayors are called to reduce and alleviate suffering and difficulties among their citizens in every way possible, ‘with all of the measures that love suggests and the law provides.’” He also emphasised that effective governance requires a real understanding of people’s lives. “You must first strive to know people’s aspirations as well as their challenges.” At the same time, he stressed that “the dignity of each individual must be recognized and upheld,” noting that municipalities are not anonymous entities but communities with “faces and histories.” In this regard, he encouraged leaders “to continue listening to the poor, to immigrants, and all of to the least among you,” and to accompany them in promoting the common good. Concluding, the Pope expressed gratitude for the daily service offered by those in public office and reminded them that “those in authority are also God’s servants.” He encouraged them to carry out their responsibilities “with joy, with love, and with zeal.” Finally, Pope Leo XIV entrusted the delegation to the intercession of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, who served migrants in Chicago - the most populous city in Illinois.