Pope calls on Christians and Muslims to jointly “revive humanity”
Pope Leo XIV called on Catholics and Muslims to unite in helping the poor and combating spiritual apathy.
Pope Leo XIV addressed participants in the 8th Colloquium between the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies on May 11, 2026, urging Christians and Muslims to “revive humanity” through joint efforts, LifeSiteNews reports.
The address was delivered at a meeting organized by Jordan’s Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, an institution that promotes dialogue between Christians and Muslims. The pontiff proposed that both religious communities draw on “the richness of their traditions” in pursuit of a “common mission” – defending the poor and the marginalized.
“In such a context, Christians and Muslims, drawing from the richness of our respective traditions, are called to a common mission: to revive humanity where it has grown cold, to give voice to those who suffer and to transform indifference into solidarity,” Pope Leo XIV said.
He separately cited the Islamic concept of compassion, ra’fa, and one of the Divine names in the Muslim tradition, al-Ra’uf, drawing a parallel with the biblical image of God who hears the suffering of His people. “Compassion and empathy can be our instruments as they have the power to restore the dignity of the other,” he stressed.
The pontiff gave particular warning that technological progress, while connecting people to one another, also threatens to produce spiritual numbness: “The constant flow of images and videos of the hardships of others can dull our hearts rather than stir them. This type of apathy is becoming one of the most serious spiritual challenges of our time.”
As the UOJ reported, Pope Leo visited a mosque in Algeria and called it “a place belonging to God.”
