In August, Pope Francis invited us to pray for political leaders so that they “work for the common good.” He said that, although “politics does not have a good reputation, it is much more noble than it appears.” For this reason, he also invited us to thank “the many politicians who carry out their work with a desire to serve, not to power.”
In his message, Francis noted that “today politics has a bad reputation: corruption, scandals, and it is far removed from people’s daily lives.” But he clarified that another type of politics is always possible: a “POLITICS with a capital P,” at the service of the people and, in particular, of the poorest. We all need “good politics,” Francis stressed, if we want to “advance towards universal brotherhood”: the temptation to do without it, often evoked by populisms of all kinds, is a great deception, he said.
He explained that politics can be a challenge to the moral character of those who participate in it. However, it can also be a vocation worthy of holiness and virtue. In this regard, the Pope recalled the words of Paul VI, who defined politics as “one of the highest forms of charity, because it seeks the common good.”
It is a social sense that goes beyond individualism in favor of a greater whole: the people. That is why Christians, especially lay people, are called to participate in political life, in order to build a more just and supportive society. “An individual can help a person in need, but when he joins others to generate social processes of fraternity and justice for all, he enters the field of the broadest charity, political charity,” said the Holy Father. For all this, Francis’ prayer intention for August is for political leaders.
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