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Pope Leo’s address on “building networks
with world of culture, art, economy & sport”
“Movistar Arena” (Madrid) – Sunday, 7 June 2026
“What does it mean to be truly human?”
Your Eminence,
Dear friends,
It is a pleasure to be with you at this Movistar Arena, a venue that welcomes not only sporting, artistic, and cultural events, but also the deepest human emotions: joy, admiration, enthusiasm, hope, sadness, and frustration.
In this beautiful country it is impossible not to admire the creative spirit that runs through its history and shapes its identity.
This beauty is evident in its cities, streets, monuments, squares, gardens, universities, churches, music, paintings, dances, and cuisine.
One also senses the spirit of the generations who transformed the landscape and gave it a character of its own.
Every detail reveals the intelligence and determination of the human spirit.
After carefully considering the wonders created by previous generations, a question inevitably arises that challenges us all: What legacy are we leaving for the future?
By extension, what kind of community are we building?
I have listened intently to each of the panelists’ contributions, and I agree with you.
Our society does indeed have an extraordinary capacity to produce, innovate, and communicate.
However, it seems we still need to learn how to to protect the essence of what we generate.
Otherwise, we risk becoming media experts and effective producers while remaining uncertain about why, for what purpose, with whom, and for whom we produce.
Mindful of its successes and errors throughout history, the Church longs to remain in dialogue with the contemporary world.
The desire for goodness, beauty and truth is ingrained in humanity’s DNA.
The Church proposes paths toward a life of dignity and the common good on the basis of this profoundly human aspiration and our centuries-old experience..
In this regard, St. Paul VI affirmed before the United Nations that the mission of the Roman Pontiff is well known, regardless of one’s opinion of him
As an “expert in humanity,” the Church does not turn a blind eye to anything that is truly human.
For this reason, openness to dialogue is an integral part of the Church’s vocation.
Today we confirm that the decisive question remains the same:
what does it mean to be truly human?
With humility and conviction, the Church shares what she has discovered through her faith: Jesus Christ provides answers to life’s great questions, offering fulfillment in this world and in eternity..
“For this reason, the human person always remains the ‘way for the Church’ and the heart of every authentic path of integral human development.”
Therefore, The Church cannot turn a blind eye to culture because it is through culture that humans become fully human.
Since “culture” calls to mind “cultivate,” as the shared etymological roots of the two words suggest, we must ask ourselves what we are sowing today.
What is flourishing and what is withering silently in our society?
What values are we preserving, and which are we allowing to die?
These are profound and necessary questions that cannot be ignored.
To address these questions, a social dialogue is necessary. This dialogue can be likened to the art of building networks and involves coming together, listening, dialogue, and respect.
In all areas of human activity, we must be mindful of the language we use, whether written, spoken, or visual, because communication is never neutral.
All forms of expression convey meaning.
It can wound or heal, shatter expectations or open new horizons, sow division or awaken hope in the possibility of building something genuinely human together
First: Building networks requires dialogue among institutions centered on human dignity..
For instance, this implies that universities shouldn’t disregard the working world or abandon the truth, and businesses shouldn’t treat employees as just another factor in their interests.
Art should not be intended solely for elites, sports should not be reduced to mere spectacles, and technological progress should consider the needs of the elderly, the poor, and the voiceless.
From a Christian perspective, our contribution to the dialogue concerning life recognizes that the Creator has woven human beings with threads of love because they have been created in God’s image. God is love. (1 John 4:8).
The absolute respect of the foundation of inalienable human dignity is the basis of dialogue.
Secondly, building networks means creating together.
Pope Benedict XVI affirmed “Faith is love, and therefore creates poetry and music.
Faith is joy, therefore it creates beauty” (Catechesis, 21 May 2008).
We have all experienced something beautiful — so much so that it changed us from within: a song, a poem, a quiet church, a voice, a glance, or even a basketball game enjoyed with friends.
So it’s no surprise that the proclamation of the Good News and our awareness that we are all brothers and sisters is expressed as an arrow during Holy Week or in mystical poetry.
This expression can also be found in the literary genius of authors such as Lope de Vega, St. Teresa of Ávila, St. John of the Cross, and Calderón de la Barca, as well as in the serene prose of St. Thomas Aquinas.
We have inherited the beautiful Corpus Christi hymns from him, which we celebrate today.
All of this reveals the bond between the material and spiritual realms that constitute our existence.
Third, building networks means to serve selflessly.
An objective view reveals that men and women of faith have built hospitals and schools, started solidarity initiatives, and spoken a language that dignifies people.
For this reason we should do well to ask ourselves honestly if the world — and Europe in particular — would have formed its identity without that spiritual influence that has permeated its history.
This is not meant to be provocative.
Rather, it is an invitation to consider whether the eternal, which entered time and space through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, can be reconciled with everyday life..
Can we really believe that Europe, which we love so deeply, would be the same without the influence of faith?
Why should we be afraid of eternity permeating everyday life?
The cry of my predecessors lives on: Do not be afraid!
Open wide the doors to Christ!
Jesus Christ takes nothing from us; He gives us everything.
I ask myself: Who are the people being excluded despite their virtues and abilities?
We cannot ignore the fact that the plight of the poor is a cry that, in the history of humanity, constantly challenges our lives, our societies, our political and economic systems, and the Church.
Indeed, Christ restores the common good to its rightful place. As a wise arbiter, he tempers the greed of some and nourishes the hope of others, longing to save them all.
Although this church sometimes goes against the tide, it insists that economic and institutional structures are just to the extent that they serve the integral development of the person and promote the responsible participation of all.
Finally, Let me draw your attention to the world of sports, a world with which I am quite familiar.
Think about how many of us learned to respect our opponents on the field instead of through lectures.
Athletes teach us to lose without hatred, to win without humiliating others, and to get back up after falling.
Saint John Paul II, as an athlete and pastor, once said: “In these times when, unfortunately, various forms of violence — and thus of hatred — tend to tear apart the fabric of social solidarity, you [athletes] play your part in offering a shining example of cohesion, peace, and unity — in a word, of ‘knowing how to be together’”
(Address to the Participants in the 33rd Europe, Africa and Mediterranean Waterskiing Championships, 31 August 1979).
The words have lost none of their relevance, and they are even more timely now than when they were first spoken.
Dear friends, I invite you to become new protagonists and weave networks that harmonize all areas of life.
Together, we can create a renewed society where time is imbued with eternity, culture safeguards memory and fosters dialogue, education promotes the critical search for truth, art awakens wonder and noble emotions, businesses recognize the dignity of individuals, and work remains a source of hope.
Let us be new protagonists by heeding Saint Paul’s counsel:
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty,
but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.
If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:15–18).
All of this determines whether our “humanity in all its grandeur” will continue to shine forth in the future.
Thank you very much.
Let us all, then, be builders of this new community.
Thank you very much, and best wishes to everyone.
