(ANS – Rome – October 20, 2026) – On October 19, 2026, in the chapel at the General House, Fr. Fabio Attard, Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, delivered his evening “Good Night” message to the Sacred Heart community and the vice provincials who were in Rome for a formation meeting taking place October 18–24.
Below is the full text of his message.
A Reflection on Chapter Five of Magnifica Humanitas
In Chapter Five of Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV speaks of a “culture of power.” This is a mentality in which the availability of resources and the ability to dominate end up determining the agenda. Within this culture, whatever is technically possible seems, for that very reason, to become permissible, and power no longer recognizes any limits.
The Pope does not counter this culture with another form of power, but with another way of living: the “civilization of love,” an expression especially dear to St. Paul VI. It means translating charity into structures of justice (no. 186) and giving fraternity a concrete form, including through institutions.
A Subtle Temptation
It is precisely here that the encyclical identifies an insidious temptation: underestimating what we can offer through humble acts of service. The Pope describes it this way: “To think that the problems are too big and we too small, and that therefore our choices make no difference, is an elegant form of surrender, often disguised as realism” (no. 212).
This voice sounds like common sense, but it leaves us defeated before we even begin. The Gospel offers a different measure: the mustard seed that becomes a tree (see Mt. 13:31–32), the widow’s two small coins (see Mk. 12:41–44), and the five loaves in the hands of the Lord (see Jn. 6:9). God does not ask us to be great, but to be available.
“Not everyone has the same power to shape reality; but no one is without responsibility. Each of us has our own sphere of action, and there, not elsewhere, we are called to choose. We can feed the logic of force (even if only through indifference, cynicism, falsehood, hatred) or safeguard the logic of peace (through truth, sobriety, closeness, care)” (no. 212).
Small and Steadfast Acts of Faithfulness
Pope Leo XIV offers us a simple and life-giving principle: “The civilization of love is not born from a single, spectacular gesture, but from a sum of small and tenacious fidelities that form a bulwark against dehumanization” (no. 213). This is the holiness of everyday life that St. John Bosco taught us.
The chapter concludes with an essential invitation: to pray and to hope. Peace, before it becomes our work, is a gift from God. The civilization of love is not a project we can accomplish through our own strength alone, but an expression of God’s charity that asks to work through us. We are not asked to save the world, but to remain faithful.
Let us allow ourselves to be shaped by this desire day after day, so that our lives may become, for young people and everyone we meet, the more excellent way that leads to Him. May Mary, Mother of Charity and Help of Christians, accompany us on this journey.