The Pope urges people to commit themselves to promoting the dignity of God's children

He began by offering a special greeting in Croatian to a large group of faithful from the Military Ordinariate of Croatia—who were present in great numbers today in St. Peter’s Square—and extended a special welcome to the Italian dioceses and parishes, as well as to the ecclesiastical assistants of the Foundation Aid to the Church in Need, the Holy Father Leo XIV continued his commentary on the conciliar constitution Gaudium et Spes (GS), with its first chapter devoted to the dignity of the human person.

The Second Vatican Council’s Constitution *Gaudium et Spes* emphasizes that human dignity is the “foundation and condition” of those “values that are held in the highest regard today,” but that must not lose their connection to ‘their divine source’ in order to avoid possible distortions due to ‘the corruption of the human heart’ (GS, 11).”.

The journey that has made it possible to highlight the essential characteristics and fundamental rights of human dignity represents one of the most significant chapters in human history, the Pontiff emphasized.

However, the Pope has warned in the General Audience that the journey ahead “is not over and must confront the contradictions—both old and new—that stand in the way of its full realization.”.

Human dignity, a gift that comes from God's love

‘The Church reminds us that human dignity flows from the very being of the person, and I have had the opportunity to reaffirm this as well in the recent encyclical *Magnifica humanitas*,’ the Pope noted: 

“Every person, who is by nature made for relationship, is intended and loved by God to enter into a story of communion with Him, with others, and with creation.

”Her dignity does not depend on her abilities, her wealth, or the role she plays, nor on the right or wrong decisions she makes; rather, it is a gift that precedes and transcends her, given by God as an expression of his unfailing love” (no. 50).

The infinite dignity of the human person, therefore, as Pope Leo XIV has stated, is rooted in his identity as a creature made “in the image of God,‘ capable of knowing and loving his Creator—a plan and gift of love that transcends all other created realities, which are entrusted to their care ’to govern and use them for the glory of God.”.

The ultimate foundation of faith

Through faith we can understand the ultimate foundation of human dignity, since the Son, “in the very revelation of the mystery of the Father and of his love, fully reveals man to himself and makes known to him the sublimity of his calling» (n. 22).

Being a person, our relationship with God and with others, a gift to be shared

The Holy Father then elaborated on the concept of relationship and the gift. “Being a person always implies relationship, communion, and participation with God and with others; therefore, a filial relationship with God the Father and a fraternal relationship with Christ and with all human beings. It excludes self-centered isolation. To be a person means to perceive oneself as a gift to be shared, growing and maturing through acceptance, reciprocity, and service.”.

This dignity, the Pope reminded us, is entrusted to each person’s responsibility; and at the same time, “it also demands solidarity and mutual care, overcoming the many distortions and manipulations that even today distort our perception of it and hinder its fulfillment.”.

Three concepts: intelligence, consciousness, and freedom

In closing, Leo XIV highlighted the three most significant expressions of human dignity emphasized in *Gaudium et spes*: intelligence, which makes human beings insatiable seekers of truth; conscience, through which human beings give unity and meaning to their own lives; and freedom, which makes them responsible agents in their own decisions.

These dimensions are closely intertwined: it is in consciousness that truth is recognized as such and where freedom can experience it as its foundation and possibility, the Pontiff has said.

Finally, the Pope stated that “the Holy Spirit, who gives life in Christ, sets us free and constantly reaffirms our dignity as children of God, freeing us from fear and guiding us toward our ultimate goal (…).

Closing Message: Promoting and Defending Human Dignity

“We have been created in the image of God: let us commit ourselves to promoting and defending the dignity of God’s children, with the light and strength of the Gospel,” encouraged the Successor of Peter, who recalled yesterday’s feast.

Yesterday we celebrated the liturgical feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary; “May her example and her maternal intercession inspire and accompany you throughout your lives,” the Pope said before imparting his blessing to the pilgrims and faithful in St. Peter’s Square.