Addressing participants in a conference on “generative accompaniment,” Pope Leo XIV said that presence and care “help to illuminate the Christian meaning of welcome.”
The conference was organized by Fraterna Domus, an association of Christian volunteers. Pope Leo said:
Being present in the lives of others means sharing time, experiences and meanings, offering stable points of reference in which others can recognize themselves and grow. Looking to the Holy Family of Nazareth—whose model inspires Fraterna Domus—every welcoming community can rediscover its calling and learn to orient itself on the path of service.
The Pontiff also upheld St. Joseph’s guardianship of those entrusted to him as a model of care.
“Guardianship means being attentive to others, respecting their choices and caring for them,” he said. “Joseph shows us that presence and guardianship are inseparable dimensions: it is not possible to guard without being present, and one is not present without assuming responsibility for the other.”