Catholic engagement in U.S. public life has at its best been animated by a distinctive moral vision rooted in the dignity of the human person and a commitment to the common good. But in recent decades, that engagement has sometimes been instrumentalized, with faith deployed towards partisan political ends in ways that have contributed to our country’s deepening polarization and mistrust. Catholics can help respond to our current democratic crisis by recommitting to a public witness rooted in the dignity of all, and by helping build the culture of encounter that Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV have called for as a path towards “a better kind of politics.”
Pope Francis warned against what he called a “retreat from democracy,” reminding us that democracy is a moral undertaking grounded in solidarity, participation, and the pursuit of the common good. In Fratelli tutti, he described one response to this retreat: working to build a “culture of encounter,” meaning that “we, as a people, should be passionate about meeting others, seeking points of contact, building bridges, planning a project that includes everyone.” Pope Francis modeled this through his words, his gestures, and his travels, building sustained relationships across differences throughout his papacy.
Pope Leo XIV has continued this call for encounter and dialogue. In his January 2026 address to the diplomatic corps, he renewed the Church’s commitment to dialogue and multilateralism, calling for the promotion of “dialogue that enriches the social fabric” while offering a clear-eyed warning that “a diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies.” His pilgrimage to Lebanon this past fall likewise embodied the conviction that peace is possible when people meet one another across lines of faith, culture, and conflict.
At the same time, Pope Leo is direct when speaking up for peace and for those who suffer. While consistently calling for “paths of dialogue” to be reopened in response to the crisis in the Middle East, he has also spoken out against the “atrocious violence of war,” calling on “those responsible for this conflict” to “Cease fire!” His approach to the grave challenges of our current moment is grounded in principle and committed to dialogue as the only path forward.
The Church’s Synod on Synodality likewise offered a sign of hope and renewal rooted in encounter and dialogue. This three-year global effort involved people from diverse backgrounds engaged in genuine listening across real divisions. Despite those divisions, participants were able to come to significant agreement through a process that enabled them “to recognize mistakes and rebuild trust.” Rooted in encounter, the ongoing synodal process is a sign of hope that is planting seeds of renewal in the Church.
Building a culture of encounter is one path forward during this time of democratic fragility and erosion of social bonds, institutions, and shared commitments. Such efforts call us to recognize the equal human dignity of every person and to rebuild political community. Working for a culture of encounter offers a path toward what Pope Francis called “a better kind of politics, one truly at the service of the common good.”
