Pope Francis, in his recent meeting with a delegation of the “Custodians of Beauty” (“Custodi del Bello”) project sponsored by the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), urged them to restore true beauty and harmony to the world, prioritizing those who live on the margins of society, according to Vatican News.
He alerted participants on the prevailing idea of beauty, which is “more connected to hedonistic, commercial, and advertising criteria than to the integral development of people… which leads to the degradation of humanity and nature.”
The project is a joint venture of non-profit and for-profit companies and public entities led by Italian Bishops aimed at promoting a new model of social integration that focuses on work and beauty, as a driving force for economic development.
The Holy Father thanked the network for the project, which is not just a slogan but a choice of life aimed at two great purposes: care and beauty. “Being ‘Custodians of Beauty’ is a great responsibility, as well as an important message for the ecclesial community and for all of society.”
Caring involves protecting, preserving, and defending, and it requires constant attention and personal commitment as opposed to the current tendencies in our society to avoid engagement, said Pope Francis.
He added it is a community effort in which each person, with their abilities and skills, with their intelligence and heart, can do something for others, for our common home, from a perspective of integral care of creation.
The Pope noted that true care must extend beyond the environment to an ecological vision. “Today, there are so many people on the margins, discarded, forgotten in an increasingly efficient and ruthless society: the poor, migrants, the elderly and disabled who are alone, the chronically ill. Yet, each one is precious in the eyes of the Lord.”
It is only when people prioritize those who live in, and frequent places left to neglect and decay will there be restoration of creation to its beauty.
The Holy Father criticized modern society’s superficial understanding of beauty, which is often reduced to ephemeral and commercialized aesthetics. True beauty is something sacred, and unique, reflecting God's creation, that combines grace and goodness, uniting aesthetic and moral perfection.
He encouraged the project participants to embrace their role as co-creators with God in restoring beauty and harmony to the world, citing Saint Joseph of Nazareth, with his discreet and diligent faithfulness, “the humble and silent” guardian of Jesus, as a model in their commitment.
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