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Journal “Piazza San Pietro” – Pope Leo XIV responds to an atheist: “We are all seekers of God”

“The real problem of faith is not whether to believe or not believe in God, but to seek him!” highlights the Holy Father

VATICAN, 24 FEB – The February issue of Piazza San Pietro, the magazine published by Saint Peter’s Basilica and edited by Father Enzo Fortunato, is dedicated to “Faith that transcends pain”.

The section: “Dialogue with readers” begins with Pope Leo XIV’s answer to the letter from Rocco, a reader from Reggio Calabria who, through a poem entitled An atheist who loves God, expresses his own inner turmoil: considering himself an atheist and, at the same time, feeling a profound desire to love and seek God.

In the text sent to the Holy Father, Rocco recounts his view of nature: the starry sky, the mystery of harmony, until he confesses: “I believe I do not believe, absolutely sure of nothing, I continue to yearn for God. My drama is God! My restlessness is God!”.

In his answer, Pope Leo XIV recalls the words of Saint Augustine – “You were within me but I was outside myself, and there I sought you!” – to emphasize that one who loves God and seeks him with a sincere heart cannot consider himself atheist. The Pontiff invites us to overcome the opposition between believers and non-believers, proposing instead a deeper distinction: that between “seekers” and “non-seekers” of God.

“The real problem of faith”, writes the Holy Father, “is not whether to believe or not believe in God, but to seek him”. In fact, God lets himself be found by those who authentically desire him. Even those who think they are not believers can be, in reality, ardent seekers of the face of God. According to the Pope, the dignity and beauty of human life lie in this striving towards Love.

The February issue opens with an editorial by Father Enzo Fortunato, entitled Tu eri dentro di me (“You were within me”), dedicated to the theme of restlessness and the search for God. Ample space is also given to the tragedy of Crans-Montana, with a conversation with Archbishop Bruno Forte, who reflects on the pain of the victims’ parents.

“This issue intertwines faith and suffering to question the search for God, increasingly making St Peter's Square a space for dialogue and reflection capable of giving voice to contemporary concerns in the light of the Gospel”, says Father Fortunato.

Among the cultural and spiritual insights, the magazine also commemorate the 400th anniversary of the dedication of Saint Peter’s Basilica and the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, with the exposition of the Saint’s mortal remains in the basilica of Assisi.

POPE LEO XIV ANSWERS

Holy Father,

I am sending you my poem: An atheist who loves God.

I would like some help from you. How is it possible to consider oneself atheist and love God? I feel this need to love God, but I consider myself atheist, or perhaps I think I am one and deep down I am searching for God?

Here is the poem:

I observe nature

spying on every evolution:

the rising of the sun

or its setting on the horizon;

the starry sky

and the mystery of harmony. I believe I do not believe; absolutely certain of nothingness, I continue to yearn for God.

My drama is God!

My restlessness is God! An atheist who loves God! Rocco from Reggio Calabria

ANSWER:

Mr. Rocco,

la ringrazio per avermi scritto e per la bella poesia che mi ha inviato. Quello che Lei afferma mi ha fatto subito ritornare alla mente quanto scrive il mio amato padre sant’Agostino nelle Confessioni: «Tu eri dentro di me, e io fuori. E là ti cercavo». Bastano queste parole per dirLe che non può essere ateo chi ama Dio, chi lo cerca con cuore sincero.

Thank you for writing to me, and for the beautiful poem you sent me. What you said immediately brought to my mind what my beloved father Saint Augustine wrote in his Confessions: “You were within me, and I was outside myself, and there I sought you”. These words are enough to tell you that those who love God, those who seek him with a sincere heart, cannot be atheists.

Recently, several theologians have helped us to reflect on how the important thing in life is to seek God. Yes, because the real problem of faith is not whether to believe or not believe in God, but to seek him! He lets himself be found by the heart that searches for him, and perhaps the right distinction to be made is not so much that between believers and non-believers, but those who seek God and those who do not.

One can believe oneself to be a believer and not seek the face of God, not love him; one can believe oneself a non-believer and be an ardent seeker of his face, and love him as you do.

You see, Rocco, we are all longing for Love, we are all seekers of God. And therein lies the dignity and beauty of our lives.

I bid you a fraternal farewell.

Leo PP XIV