Leo XIV's closeness and perspective on social reality, and especially his profound reflection on forgiveness in the face of violence, left the impression of a Church that wants to respond with clarity and humanity to the challenges of our time.

The Pope's visit was a breath of fresh air for me. I had very low expectations and was afraid of a possible step backward compared to Pope Francis.

But I found a Pope who was a shepherd, with a Church that was wide-eyed, facing society and culture, fulfilling a necessary role. A Church that speaks assertively about social injustice and that generates serenity; with words that, at least for me, help me understand that the Church sees, feels, and wants to respond with its evangelical mission to the challenges and pain of society today.

The question about forgiveness at the meeting in Montjuic in Barcelona received a very lucid response from the Pope; because in addition to acknowledging the tragedy of femicides, using this word himself, he had the tact to explain and welcome the young woman who told her dramatic story regarding her inability to forgive the abusive father, who is in jail for trying to kill her mother and murdering the young man who saved her from death.

The forgiveness that Pope Leo so masterfully helped us understand is, first, the forgiveness of healing our own wounds; second, the forgiveness that does not mean returning to the previous point to be hurt again by the person who harmed us; and finally, the forgiveness that is not automatic, but a long process, which can last for years or even a lifetime, and which could even focus on praying for the one who has hurt us, because forgiving is, above all, repairing the damage and pain that has been unjustly caused to us.

Pillar
Barcelona