Why the Lives of the Saints Still Matter — and What Pope Leo XIV Is Reminding Us

In our modern world — fast, skeptical, often cynical — it might seem strange to talk about “saints.” The word can sound distant, even irrelevant. Isn’t sainthood about stained glass windows and long-ago miracles?

But look a little closer, and you’ll see something far more compelling: people who radically changed their world not with power or wealth, but with compassion, courage, and deep conviction. And today, with the election of Pope Leo XIV, we’re seeing their legacy come alive again in new and surprising ways.

This isn’t just a religious story. It’s a human one.

Saint Augustine: Honest Questions, Deep Answers

Back in the 4th century, a restless, ambitious young man named Augustine asked questions we still ask today: Why am I never satisfied? What is truth? What really matters?

Augustine’s journey — documented in his Confessions — wasn’t easy. He struggled with doubt, desire, grief, and guilt. But in his writing, he didn’t hide it. He processed it all openly, like the world’s first self-aware memoirist. His work shaped theology, yes, but also philosophy, psychology, and politics.

In fact, Pope Leo XIV quoted Augustine in his very first public address:
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

Even if you interpret “God” differently — or not at all — Augustine’s insight rings true: we’re all searching for something more.

Francis of Assisi: A Countercultural Life That Still Challenges Us

Fast-forward to the 13th century. Francis of Assisi, born to a wealthy family, stunned everyone by walking away from it all. He lived simply. He cared for lepers. He preached to birds. He tried to make peace during the Crusades. He gave everything up, not out of despair, but out of joy.

Francis’s life still holds up. In an age of climate breakdown, social inequality, and nonstop consumption, his radical simplicity and deep love for creation speak powerfully.

Pope Leo XIV seems to get that. His early emphasis on ecology and justice feels like a direct nod to Francis — not just as a saint, but as a blueprint for how we might live more wisely today.

Modern Saints for a Complicated World

Saints aren’t just ancient figures — they’re also very recent ones. Many lived through the same chaos and injustice we see on the news today.

Josephine Bakhita, once enslaved, later became a nun and symbol of human dignity in the face of oppression.

Maximilian Kolbe died in Auschwitz, taking the place of another prisoner, quietly reminding us what real courage looks like.

Mother Teresa served the dying and discarded, not out of pity, but because she saw value where the world saw none.

Óscar Romero spoke out against corruption and violence in El Salvador — and was murdered at the altar for it.

You don’t have to believe in their miracles to admire their lives. They stood up when it mattered. And their stories are still shaping movements for justice, dignity, and peace.

A New Pope, An Old Legacy Renewed

With the election of Pope Leo XIV, many inside and outside the Church are watching closely. So far, he’s sent a strong message: the Church must serve, not dominate. His early gestures — visiting refugee camps, appointing diverse voices, canonizing lesser-known modern figures — reflect a leadership style grounded in humility, inclusion, and conscience.

And the name “Leo” isn’t random. It recalls Saint Leo the Great, a 5th-century pope who defended the humanity of Christ in a divided world. That historical echo suggests Pope Leo XIV is interested not in novelty for its own sake, but in deep continuity — carrying forward the courage and compassion of those who came before him.

So… Why Does This Matter Today?

Because we’re all looking for models — especially ones that live out integrity, kindness, and moral courage. In a world saturated with noise and performance, the lives of the saints remind us what matters:

That one life lived with purpose can change thousands.

That humility isn’t weakness, but strength.

That compassion isn’t naïve, but revolutionary.

Saints have been deeply human. That’s exactly why they matter. And it’s why the example they set — now being echoed in the early steps of Pope Leo XIV — is so powerful, even for those who don’t identify with the faith they carried.

The Takeaway

You don’t have to be religious to be inspired by people who chose selflessness over success, purpose over comfort, courage over safety.

And you don’t have to agree with every teaching of the Catholic Church to recognize that when a global leader like Pope Leo XIV highlights those voices — saints past and present — he’s inviting the world into a deeper conversation. Not about doctrine. But about true love and what it means to be truly human.