Pope Leo XIV emphasized the reality of evil. He stated that evil does not have the final say. The Pope's words offer a message of hope and resilience.
26 days ago
Pope Leo XIV delivered a significant message during his Wednesday general audience on August 13, 2025, emphasizing that evil is a real presence in the world but does not hold ultimate power 1 2 3. The audience, part of his jubilee catechesis series "Jesus Christ Our Hope," was held in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican due to extreme heat, with the Pope also greeting pilgrims outside 2 3.
The Holy Father stated that the Gospel does not advocate denying evil, but rather recognizing its reality as a "painful opportunity for rebirth" and conversion 2 3. He reflected on Jesus' words at the Last Supper, particularly concerning Judas' betrayal, noting that Jesus used "strong words" to reveal the gravity of the act 2 3. However, Pope Leo clarified that Jesus' aim was not to humiliate or condemn, but to save and to help disciples acknowledge their own weaknesses and fragility 2 3.
According to Pope Leo XIV, the journey of salvation begins with a sincere acceptance of one's own limitations and weaknesses 2 3. He stressed that to be saved, one must feel involved and beloved despite everything, understanding that evil is real but "does not have the last word" 2 3. The Pope encouraged the faithful not to exclude themselves from God's love and salvation, highlighting Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection as reasons for hope even when confronted with personal sins 2 3.
Pope Leo XIV affirmed that "at the darkest point, the light is not extinguished; on the contrary, it begins to shine" 2 3. He urged Christians to "open up a space for truth in our hearts" and trust in Jesus, who never abandons his disciples 2 3. Salvation, he concluded, stems from the awareness that while humans may break their trust in God, God's love is unfailing, and He never stops loving, even if betrayed 2 3.
How does the Church address the reality of evil?
The Catholic Church addresses the reality of evil by affirming that God, who is infinitely good, is not its origin. Instead, evil is understood as a consequence of the free choices of intelligent creatures—angels and humans—who have turned away from God .
Evil is not an inherent part of creation, as God created everything good . The Church teaches that evil is a "privation of goodness" or a "lapsing from what is natural into what is unnatural" . It is not an essence or a positive reality in itself, but rather a defect or absence of the good that ought to be present .
Moral evil, which is considered incommensurably more harmful than physical evil, entered the world through the sin of intelligent and free creatures .
God is in no way, directly or indirectly, the cause of moral evil . However, He permits it because He respects the freedom of His creatures . Even in allowing creatures to resist His grace, God does not relinquish His omnipotence . While God sustains the very action of a creature who sins, He is not the cause of the moral deformation of that act. The defect in a sinful act stems uniquely from the sinner's free will .
The Church teaches that God, being supremely good and all-powerful, would not allow any evil to exist if He were not able to bring good out of evil itself . The revelation of divine love in Christ simultaneously shows the extent of evil and the superabundance of grace, indicating that Christ alone is the conqueror of evil .
At its deepest level, evil is a tragic rejection of the demands of love, while moral good is born of love and directed towards it . Christians are called to overcome evil with good, even extending love to their enemies . God has wrought a sure victory over the Evil One in Christ .