Christians and Muslims are called to show compassion and empathy, Pope says
May 11, 2026
Pope Leo XIV said today that for Christians and Muslims, “human compassion and empathy are not something additional or optional, but are a call from God to reflect his goodness in our daily lives.”
The Pontiff made his remarks to participants in a colloquium organized by the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and Jordan’s Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies. The theme of the colloquium is “Human Compassion and Empathy in Modern Times.”
In Jesus Christ, “divine compassion becomes visible and tangible,” Pope Leo said during the audience, which took place in Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace. “God goes beyond seeing and hearing by taking on our human nature in order to become the living embodiment of compassion. Following the example of Jesus, Christian compassion becomes a sharing in or ‘suffering with’ others, particularly the most disadvantaged.”
The Pope warned that “compassion and empathy are sadly in danger of disappearing today.”
“In such a context, Christians and Muslims, drawing from the richness of our respective traditions, are called to a common mission: to revive humanity where it has grown cold, to give voice to those who suffer and to transform indifference into solidarity,” the Pope said.
As he thanked Jordan for welcoming refugees, Pope Leo added that “it is my hope that Jordan will continue to be a living witness to this kind of compassion, as well as a sign of dialogue, solidarity and hope, in a region that is marked by trials.”
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