Pope Leo XIII: Think About Death to Prepare for Eternal Life

Pope Leo XIII on Death and the Resurrection

At the General Audience on December 10, 1903, Pope Leo XIII stressed the importance of reflecting on death to understand how the Resurrection of Christ can transform who we are into who we should become and give our lives a new meaning, especially in today's world where most people do not want to think about death.

The Pontiff gave a speech to those attending Mass outside of St. Peter's Basilica today in St. Peter's Square which referred to how our understanding of death impacts how we decide the things we want to do in our lives.

According to him, By means of prayer we can discern what things truly belong to contribute to heaven here on earth, as well as relieve ourselves from anything that is not necessary and only keeps us here on this earth for a short time, and prepare for eternity.

The catechetical teachings of Pope Leo XIV continued with "The Resurrection of Christ and the Challenges of the Modern World" under the umbrella of the series called "Jesus Christ Our Hope."

Death as a Forgotten Subject in Modern Culture

The idea of death has turned from a topic that people used to talk about and share their experiences with, into one that people generally ignore. Pope Francis states, "The enigma of death has perplexed mankind for a long time," it being both the most natural thing to happen and one of the strangest things that has happened in the universe.

The yearning for life and immortality that we experience for ourselves and our loved ones leads us to perceive death as a punishment, as a form of ‘contradiction.’

He highlighted how in past decades, many different cultures have created traditions for honoring those who have died and crossed over into the afterlife compared with today's culture, which seems to show no such practice at all.

Death is generally considered a subject that we do not like to talk about, and we seem to want to keep it away from us. Thus, we talk about it softly or away from others due to us being disturbed by what we may say about it. This comment highlights some of the reasons that people tend to avoid cemeteries.

Can Science Defeat Death?

Does science provide proof that an eternal life will result in fulfillment? At the same time, many modern day perspectives from the field of anthropology predict “imminent” death from anthropocentric qualities. Their predictions propose technology improvements to maintain our physical bodies on this planet forever.

The Pope stated that "the transhumanism scenario is perhaps one of the leading challenges of our time." "Can scientists defeat death? Can we trust in science that a life without death is a life full of happiness?"

Human beings find themselves powerless in the face of death.

The Existential Burden of Mortality

The Pope asked, "Then what is death? Is it truly the last word about who we are?” He continued to explain that the understanding of death at some level ‘burdens’ humans compared to other creatures with life; He also cited that animals “don’t think of the meaning/purpose/impact of their lives.”

From this perspective one could argue that we are paradoxical and discontented beings by nature. We are discontented not only because we will die but also because of the certainty of dying without knowing how or when we will die.

"We become conscious while simultaneously feeling a lack of control. This duality likely serves as the root of the common repressions and existential escapes from the inquiry of mortality.

The Resurrection of Christ as the Answer

A response to our fundamental existential inquiries.

Nevertheless, the Pope provided a response to all these contemplations through the Resurrection of Christ.

It shows us that while we may be experiencing death as something separate and opposite from our lives, the truth is that death as part of life is actually a transition into eternity. In this passage, despite the current trials and pain we are experiencing, we are given a picture or glimpse of how full our lives will be after we're gone through the ages of eternity.

Only in understanding the Resurrection can one understand the great mystery of death. Therefore, in light of this understanding—all hopes and longings of our hearts will be fulfilled with this​; that death does not end anything but simply ​opens a doorway to full light and eternal joy​!

Through Divine Love into Eternal Life

He continued, “the risen one who has gone before us through the deep suffering of death by virtue of the power of Divine Love, has created for us a place to rest eternally, a place where we will find our expected home. He has given us all the fullness of life, with no more shadow or contradiction.”

According to Pope Francis, the only way to think about death as "our sister," as St. Francis did, is through the lens of the resurrection of Christ; this allows us to see beyond death into the hope of the resurrection of Jesus, which "offers protection against the fear of eternal oblivion and prepares us for the happiness of eternal life."