Pope Leo XIV says "Jesus Christ answers the great questions about human life and its fullness" in Spain at Building Networks Meeting

On Sunday afternoon, at the Movistar Arena in Madrid, Pope Leo XIV listened to the testimonies of participants in the meeting "Building Networks with the World of Culture, Art, Economics, and Sport." The Pope encouraged them all to build networks between institutions, that is, to engage in dialogue centered on human dignity.


ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER
“Movistar Arena” (Madrid) on Sunday, June 7, 2026
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Your Eminence, dear friends:

It is a pleasure to meet you in this place, a space that not only hosts sporting, artistic and cultural activities, but also deep human emotions: joy, admiration, enthusiasm and hope, as well as sadness and frustration.

In this beautiful country, it's impossible not to admire the imprint of creativity that runs through its history and shapes its identity. A beauty visible in its cities, its streets, its monuments, its squares and gardens, its universities and churches, its music, painting, dance, and cuisine. Here, one also perceives the soul of the generations that transformed the landscape and gave it its own unique character, revealing in every stroke the intelligence and will that reside in the human soul.

After carefully contemplating these wonders created by previous generations, a question inevitably arises that challenges us all: what legacy are we leaving for the future and therefore, what kind of community are we building?

I have listened with great interest to each of the panelists' interventions; I agree with you. Our society does indeed possess an extraordinary capacity to produce, innovate, and communicate; however, it seems we still need to learn to safeguard the soul of what it generates. Otherwise, we risk becoming experts in the means and efficient at producing, but uncertain about the why, the purpose, with whom, and for whom we produce. In this context, the Church, aware of both its successes and its failures throughout history, longs to remain in dialogue with the contemporary world.

The desire for goodness, beauty, and truth is rooted in humanity's DNA; and it is from this profoundly human aspiration and our centuries-long experience that the Church proposes paths to a dignified life and the common good. In this regard, Saint Paul VI affirmed before the United Nations that, regardless of one's opinion of the Pope, his mission is well known. As an "expert in humanity," the Church does not turn a blind eye to anything truly human (cf. Gaudium et spes , 1). For this reason, "the attitude of dialogue is an integral part of her vocation" ( Magnifica humanitas , 2). Today we see how the crucial question remains the same: what does it mean to be truly human?

The Church humbly, yet firmly, shares what she has discovered in the experience of faith: that Jesus Christ answers the great questions about human life and its fullness, both in this world and to its culmination in eternity. “For this reason, the human person always remains ‘the first and fundamental path of the Church’ and the heart of every authentic path of integral human development” ( ibid ., 50). And so, she cannot ignore culture, because through it, humanity, as such, “is” more fully realized (cf. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church , 554).

And precisely because “culture” evokes “cultivation,” as suggested by the shared etymological root of both terms, we are called to ask ourselves what we are sowing today, what is flourishing and what is silently withering in our society; what values ​​we are preserving and which we are letting die. These are profound, necessary questions that cannot be ignored.

To address these questions, a social dialogue is necessary, which we can compare to the art of weaving networks, which involves meeting, listening, dialogue, and respect.

In all sectors of human activity, we must be mindful of the language we use: written, spoken, and, in the digital environment, also the language of images; because communication is never neutral. Every expression speaks, transmits; it can wound or heal, destroy expectations or open horizons, sow division or awaken hope in the possibility of building something genuinely human together.

Thus, building networks is a dialogue between institutions centered on human dignity. This means, for example, that universities do not turn their backs on the world of work nor renounce the truth; that businesses do not see employees as just another factor in their equation of interests; that art is not solely for the elite; that sport is not reduced to spectacle or turned into mere business; and that technological progress takes into account the elderly, the poor, and those who have no voice.

Our contribution to dialogue, from a Christian perspective, recognizes that the Creator has woven humankind with threads of love, since we were created in the image and likeness of God, God who is love ( 1 John 4:8). Herein lies the foundation of inalienable human dignity, whose absolute respect is the basis of dialogue.

Secondly, weaving networks means creating together. “Faith,” Pope Benedict XVI affirmed , “is love, and therefore it creates poetry and music. Faith is joy, and therefore it creates beauty” ( Catechesis, May 21, 2008 ). We have all experienced something beautiful, so much so that it changed us inwardly: a song, a poem, a quiet church, a voice, a glance, even a basketball game played with friends.

It is no wonder, then, that the proclamation of the Good News and the awareness of our shared humanity are expressed in the form of a saeta (a type of religious song) during Holy Week, in mystical poetry, in the literary mastery of authors such as Lope de Vega, Saint Teresa of Ávila, Saint John of the Cross, Calderón de la Barca, or in the serene prose of Saint Thomas Aquinas, from whom we have inherited the beautiful hymns of Corpus Christi , which we celebrate today. All of this demonstrates the link between the material and the spiritual that constitutes our existence.

Thirdly, building networks means serving selflessly. An objective view reveals that men and women moved by faith have built hospitals and schools, given rise to solidarity initiatives, and spoken a language that dignifies people. Therefore, it is worth asking honestly whether the world—and Europe in particular—would have forged its identity without the spiritual imprint that has permeated its history. This is not a provocation, but an invitation to consider whether eternity, which burst into time and space through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, can once again be reconciled with the everyday.

Is it truly possible to believe that Europe—which we love so much—would be itself without the imprint of faith? Why fear that eternity will permeate everyday life? The cry of my predecessors still resonates: Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors to Christ! Jesus Christ takes nothing from us and gives us everything.

I want to ask aloud: Who are being excluded despite their virtues and abilities? We cannot ignore that the condition of the poor represents a cry that, in the history of humanity, constantly challenges our lives, our societies, political and economic systems, and the Church (cf. Dilexi te , 9).

Indeed, Christ restores to the common good its rightful place as the wise arbiter who appeases the greed of some and nourishes the hope of others, while longing to save them all.

This Church, “an expert in humanity”, although sometimes going against the grain, insists that “ economic and institutional structures are just only insofar as they serve the integral development of the person and promote the responsible participation of all” ( Magnifica humanitas , 34).

Allow me to finally turn your attention to a world that, as you know, is not foreign to me: the world of sports. Let's consider how many of us learned respect for our opponents on the playing field rather than by listening to a speech. How many athletes teach us to lose without hating, to win without humiliating, or to get back up after falling.

On this subject, Saint John Paul II , as both athlete and pastor, declared: “In these times when, unfortunately, various forms of violence, and therefore of hatred, tend to tear apart the fabric of social solidarity, you [athletes] contribute, for your part, to giving a shining witness of cohesion, of peace, of unity, in a word, of ‘knowing how to be together’.” [1] These words are more relevant and timely than when they first resonated.

Dear friends: I invite you then to be new threads to weave new networks that harmonize all areas of life, to create a renewed society where time is imbued with eternity, culture safeguards memory and fosters dialogue, education promotes the search for truth with a critical spirit, art awakens wonder and generates noble emotions, business recognizes the dignity of the person, and work continues to be an engine of hope.

Let us be new threads , heeding the advice of Saint Paul: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another, without regard for greatness, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” ( Romans 12:15-18). For in all of this, the continued radiance of our “magnificent humanity” is at stake in the future. Thank you very much.

Let us all then be builders of this new community.

Blessing

Thank you very much, congratulations to all.

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[1] St. John Paul II , Address to the participants in the 33rd European, African and Mediterranean Water Ski Championship , August 31, 1979 .