Daniel del Castillo González
In Lima’s Main Square, Pope Leo XIV met with representatives from different sectors of Peruvian society to discuss the challenges facing the country.
Their personal stories brought specific issues into focus: the struggles facing families, coexistence among different cultures, the situation of women, and the insecurity threatening workers.
POPE LEO XIV
Human life does not begin in a vacuum. It is born of the love between a man and a woman who, through their mutual self-giving, open themselves to the gift of a new life. A child is the fruit of this union, not a product.
Pope Leo placed human dignity and the family at the heart of his message, calling on public institutions to protect families and support them.
POPE LEO XIV
God created human beings male and female. It is in this union alone that reciprocity and complementarity find expression, giving rise to fatherhood and motherhood, parenthood and brotherhood, and everyone's commitment to building a better society.
The pope made an important distinction: the differences between men and women must never be used to justify unequal relationships within the home.
POPE LEO XIV
Living in the truth of our identity as men and women does not justify an unequal sharing of household responsibilities, or one spouse's subordination to the other. We must continue working to bring greater balance to the roles of men and women within families.
And the reality in Peru shows just how far there is still to go. According to Peru's National Institute of Statistics, women spend four hours and 48 minutes a day on household chores, compared with just one hour and 35 minutes for men.
POPE LEO XIV
It is sad to see that a macho mentality persists, as reflected in fathers' absence from family life, abuse and violence against women, and a failure to recognize the newness of Christianity, which acknowledges and proclaims that men and women share equal dignity and responsibility.
His final proposal brought all these issues together: families that teach fraternity, businesses that promote decent work, and institutions that guarantee the participation of both men and women.
