Vatican City, September 2026 : Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called forgiveness an essential foundation for peace, urging people to follow the example of Jesus Christ by forgiving others without limits and overcoming hatred, resentment and division.
Delivering his Angelus message in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope reflected on the power of forgiveness to heal broken relationships and counter the forces that fuel conflict and violence. He said forgiveness spreads a healing love capable of overcoming human hatred and resentment.
“Forgiveness is indispensable, and without it, we cannot live in peace,” Pope Leo XIV said, warning that unresolved conflicts, accusations, grudges and acts of vengeance can emerge in the hearts of individuals and within communities.
According to the Pope, such emotions can destroy relationships, divide families and ultimately contribute to the outbreak of wars. Forgiveness, he said, is the path that can restore peace and bring light even when people face material and moral difficulties.
“Only forgiveness sets us free and restores the light,” he said, describing forgiveness as a force capable of clearing away the darkness created by hardship and division.
Using the image of a gentle breeze sweeping away clouds, Pope Leo XIV said forgiveness can gradually clear the obstacles that prevent people from seeing hope and moving forward.
He called on the faithful to seek the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, asking her to help people forgive others even when taking the first step is difficult.
The Pope urged Christians to spread “the serene and healing light of love” with courage and perseverance, saying such love can overcome hatred and disarm resentment.
Forgiveness Without Limits
Pope Leo XIV based his reflection on Sunday’s Gospel reading from Matthew, in which Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive someone who sins against him. Peter asks whether forgiving seven times would be sufficient.
Jesus responds, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”
Explaining the significance of the passage, the Pope noted that the number seven symbolises fullness in the Bible. Jesus’ response therefore represents a call to forgive “beyond all limits, without measure.”
Pope Leo XIV stressed that forgiveness is not merely an optional virtue but “a fundamental feature of the Christian life.”
He also referred to Christ’s parable of a servant who owes his master an enormous debt. The servant is unable to repay it but is forgiven out of pure mercy. However, after receiving that forgiveness, he refuses to show similar mercy to another servant who owes him a much smaller amount. The master subsequently punishes him.
The Pope said the parable reminds Christians that “gift and forgiveness are the foundation of our existence.” Everything people have, he explained, is received from God out of pure love, and no one can claim to have responded perfectly to that goodness.
For this reason, Pope Leo XIV described “gratuitousness” — giving without expecting anything in return — as not only the source of human existence but also “the best rule for our life together.”
He said embracing this principle can help people live harmoniously with one another and free themselves from resentment and other burdens that weigh them down.
Peter as an Example of Forgiveness
The Pope also highlighted the personal experience of Peter as a powerful example of Christ’s forgiving love.
Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, had denied knowing Christ during the Passion. Yet after the Resurrection, Jesus encountered Peter and asked him, “Simon … do you love me?” He then invited him to “follow me,” repeating the same call he had given Peter when they first met.
Pope Leo XIV said Christ’s response was effectively as though Peter’s denial had never happened.
This experience demonstrated the transformative power of divine love, which forgives and heals rather than condemning people indefinitely for their past failures.
The Pope said this forgiving love became so powerful in Peter’s life that it ultimately confirmed his mission as the first among the Apostles.
Concluding his reflection, Pope Leo XIV urged the faithful to embrace forgiveness as a daily way of life, stressing that choosing mercy over resentment can help individuals, families and communities break cycles of hatred and division and build a more peaceful world.
