Bishop Olson and Pope Francis pray for political leaders to be at service of the people, not power
Pope Francis, in a screen grab from a video, says Pope Paul VI believed politics was one of the highest forms of charity. For August 2024, the pope's Worldwide Prayer Network asked Catholics to pray for political leaders. (CNS photo/ThePopeVideo.org)
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has called on political leaders to be at the service of the poor, the unemployed and the common good.
The world cannot promote "universal fraternity" without good politics, the pope said in a video message released July 30 by the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network.
In the video, the pope offered his specific prayer intention for each month. For the month of August, the pope dedicated his prayer intention to political leaders.
Bishop Michael Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth joined Pope Francis in calling for the faithful to pray for this August intention.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Bishop Olson said:
Please join me during August in praying for the following intention requested by Pope Francis: that political leaders be at the service of their own people, working for integral human development and for the common good, especially caring for the poor and those who have lost jobs
— Bishop Michael Olson (@BpOlsonFW) August 5, 2024
"Today, politics doesn't have a very good reputation: corruption, scandals, distant from people's day-to-day lives," Pope Francis said.
"But, can we move ahead toward universal fraternity without good politics? No," he said.
Good politics, as St. Paul VI defined it, is "one of the highest forms of charity because it seeks the common good," Pope Francis said.
As opposed to "politicking," he said, it is a "politics that listens to what is really going on, that's at the service of the poor, not the kind that's holed up in huge buildings with large hallways."
"I’m speaking of the politics that's concerned about the unemployed" and understands what it is like for people who are not able to work, he said.
"If we look at it this way, politics is much more noble than it appears," he said.
"Let's be grateful for the many politicians who carry out their duties with a will to serve, not of power, who put all their efforts toward the common good," the pope said.
"Let us pray that political leaders be at the service of their own people, working for integral human development and the common good, taking care of those who have lost their jobs and giving priority to the poorest," he said.
By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service