Pope: Emphasis on individual freedom makes us less free to be ourselves

Summary

Pope Leo XIV met with bishops associated with the Focolare Movement, also known as the Work of Mary, which was founded in Italy in 1943 by Chiara Lubich. According to the article, the Pope praised their theme of “Giving Witness to Unity” and connected it to the Church’s responsibility amid polarization, prejudice, racism, religious intolerance, and violence. He also described growing fragmentation in Western family, friendship, and community networks. Pope Leo argued that modern individualism often presents freedom as unlimited personal autonomy, detached from moral, natural, or human limits. He identified a paradox: despite increased emphasis on individual freedom, many people feel less able to express their genuine selves or pursue their ideals because they fear judgment or social exclusion. The Pope attributed this loss of openness to others to greater disunity and diminished happiness. He said that authentic happiness and human identity are found through communion with the Triune God, made possible through Christ and the Holy Spirit. He urged the bishops to witness to the unity of the human family, asserting that the answer to division is not primarily additional committees or projects, but a return to unity in the Holy Trinity.