Pope Leo XIV has urged Catholics to confront their own fragility and recognize that the possibility of doing harm is a crucial step toward personal conversion and spiritual rebirth.
Addressing pilgrims and visitors at his August 13 general audience, part of the Jubilee 2025 catechesis series “Jesus Christ our Hope”, the pope reflected on the Gospel account of the Last Supper when Jesus revealed that one of His closest followers would betray Him (Mk 14:18–21).
The pontiff noted that the disciples’ reaction — each asking, “Surely it is not I?” — reveals a deep moment of self-awareness.
“It is not the question of the innocent, but of the disciple who discovers himself to be fragile,” he said. “It is not the cry of the guilty, but the whisper of him who, while wanting to love, is aware of being able to do harm. It is in this awareness that the journey of salvation begins.”
The pope explained that Jesus’ words at the table were not meant to shame Judas or anyone else, but to prompt reflection. “Jesus does not denounce in order to humiliate. He tells the truth because he wants to save,” he said.
“And in order to be saved, it is necessary to feel: to feel that one is involved, to feel that one is beloved despite everything, to feel that evil is real but that it does not have the last word,” Pope Leo added.
According to Pope Leo, the apostles responded with sorrow rather than outrage — a sorrow that, if embraced sincerely, “becomes a place for conversion.”
Even in the most painful moments, he added, hope is possible. “If we recognize our limit, if we let ourselves be touched by the pain of Christ, then we can finally be born again,” he said.
The pontiff emphasized that hope rests on God’s unwavering mercy, which remains constant despite human weakness or betrayal. He said this enduring love, humble yet faithful, has the power to renew and transform lives.
He invited the faithful to make the disciples’ question their own, not as an act of self-accusation, but as an opening to truth and renewal. “Salvation begins here,” he said.
