In a May 28 address to members of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Pope Leo XIV said humbly and courageously witnessing to Christ will be immensely more effective than softening His demands and “watering down the content” of the faith.
He also emphasized that upholding the sanctity of life remains crucial for evangelization.
The Pope said evangelization today must respond to changing conditions in how the faith is shared to younger generations. In certain parts of the world, according to the Pontiff, “this transmission has all but ceased.”
“The causes of this situation are well known and manifold; the result, however, is a spiritual ‘poverty’ among the younger generations, a lack of motivation and of the means to develop, in full freedom, that commitment to the faith which gives meaning to life,” he said.
He thanked God for initiatives throughout the globe that meet with, listen to, and talk with young people, continuing: “The prevailing cultural climate in media-saturated and consumerist societies diminishes the capacity to learn with patience and to undertake, with effort, a personal quest for truth, with perseverance and a critical sense. Every message risks being perceived as just one opinion among many.
“The transmission of faith, in this context, necessarily involves encountering people and communities who express the joy of the Christian faith and the coherence of a Gospel-inspired way of life. It is certainly not by watering down the content or softening the demands that Christianity can be made attractive, but by bearing witness with humility and courage to ‘the way, the truth and the life’ that has converted and sanctified so many people.”
The Pontiff quoted Pope Benedict XVI, who said that the modern world needs men and women who witness to God through “enlightened and lived faith,” who keep their eyes focused on Him, and whose hearts are opened by God so that they “may open the hearts of others. Only through men who are touched by God can God return to men.”
Pope Leo then said, “The sanctity of life, therefore, remains the most convincing expression of the beauty of the Christian faith, which transcends the ages and speaks to every culture.”
The Pontiff’s address came during his meeting with the dicastery members as they concluded their Plenary Session, which addressed questions on global evangelization. He remarked that the dicastery was particularly instrumental in Rome during the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, during which more than 33 million pilgrims journeyed to the Vatican. He urged those present to continue proclaiming hope rooted in God because the faithful’s witness as faithful disciples makes hope visible. He then drew connections between the roles of hope and evangelization.
“Evangelization must remain the fundamental motivation behind every action of the universal Church and of local communities; only in this way is the faith itself continually rediscovered in all its beauty and able to express its credibility to the full,” he continued. “The proclamation of the Gospel, which instils hope, is not a utopian proposal: it is a witness that draws people in because it reveals the call to love and truth.”
He said it cannot be underestimated that “especially in Western countries, the crisis of faith, together with other socio-cultural factors, has given rise to widespread religious indifference.”
When faith is treated as irrelevant in one’s life — a problem afflicting many — the search for meaning “may be lost,” Pope Leo said. Existential questions go unanswered in a world increasingly filled with technology that is expected “to meet every need.”
Even in these circumstances, however, an encounter with Christ can “restore full meaning and value to people’s lives,” he continued, “and the Church rediscovers the enduring relevance of the mandate she received from the risen Lord.”
The Church is irreplaceable in carrying out this urgent mission, Pope Leo emphasized, adding that said the Church, crucially, gives humanity the foundations for a future of peace and justice.
He noted that people, especially youths, hunger for spirituality, and the Church must respond.
“The new generation is not closed to the Gospel; on the contrary, many, when they rediscover it, wish to know it better, because they sense that within it lies the secret to being truly happy,” Pope Leo said.
He later emphasized the value of catechesis and accompaniment that continues after catechumens receive Baptism.
“The task that follows is to offer an environment meeting the expectations the new Catholics had when they decided to become a member of the Body of Christ,” he said.
Parishes, he explained, must “strive constantly for the high standard of Christian life, to ensure that the newly baptized have a space for coherent growth, the fruit of interpersonal relationships lived in love and in reciprocal service.”
“Evangelization does not rely on the efficiency of structures or on social relevance, nor even on the approval that may be received at any given moment. What remains essential is rather to trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to follow the paths He shows to lead many people to Christ, to His Word that saves, to His love that renews life.”
Similar care must be given to those who receive Confirmation, according to the Pontiff. He praised initiatives that accompany young people in their faith journeys after this reception.
Entrusting those present to the Virgin Mary, the Pope thanked the dicastery members for their service to the Church and imparted his blessing.