Pope Francis — "The biggest problem is that we don’t feel the problems of others."
The biggest problem is that we don’t feel the problems of others.
Get This Quote & Author's Image Illustrated On:
Click any product to generate a realistic preview. Up to 3 at a time.
* Initial load can take up to 90 seconds — revising the preview in another color is nearly instant.
Kitchen
Apparel
Other
More from Pope Francis
"Be careful, the devil also knocks at the door. He knocks at the door of your heart. He knocks at the door of your mind. He knocks at the door of your soul."
"A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian."
"Hypocrisy is the devil's preferred language."
"I am a sinner, I am a sinner. This is the most accurate definition. It is not a figure of speech, a literary genre. I am a sinner."
"Slander is worse than murder. Slander kills the reputation of a person. It is worse than murder because even if you kill, you can repent and go to heaven. But slander kills the soul of the person."
About Pope Francis (born 1936)
First Latin American and Jesuit pope (2013-), who has steered the Catholic Church toward pastoral inclusion on LGBTQ pastoral care, divorced Catholics, and climate. Closely associated with Pope John XXIII (the Vatican II reformer pope) and Cardinal Walter Kasper (his theological ally on pastoral reform). For an intellectual contrast, see Cardinal Raymond Burke, American traditionalist cardinal, former head of the Vatican Apostolic Signatura — Burke is the public face of Catholic traditionalism that views Francis's pastoral approach as doctrinally dangerous — he has formally challenged Amoris Laetitia and other Francis reforms.
Verification
Unverifiable
Found in 1 providers: grok
1 source checked
Understanding this quote
What it means
At its core, this quote identifies emotional disconnection as humanity's deepest flaw. When we stop feeling others' pain, hunger, displacement, or fear, we lose motivation to act. Indifference — not hatred — becomes the engine of injustice. Problems persist not because solutions are impossible, but because those with power or comfort have numbed themselves to suffering that doesn't touch them directly.
Relevance to Pope Francis
Francis has repeatedly attacked what he calls the 'globalization of indifference.' Born in Buenos Aires, he witnessed poverty firsthand and chose simplicity over clerical comfort. His encyclical Laudato Si demands solidarity with the poor and planet. He washed prisoners' feet, visited refugee camps on Lesbos, and condemned wealthy nations for ignoring migrant suffering — living proof that feeling others' problems must drive concrete action.
The era
Francis became pope in 2013 amid a global refugee crisis, rising nationalism, and deepening inequality. Social media accelerated information flow while paradoxically dulling emotional response — scroll fatigue replacing sustained compassion. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed stark disparities in who suffered most. Climate displacement, xenophobic politics, and donor fatigue all reflected this breakdown: awareness without empathy, data without feeling, knowledge of suffering without the will to end it.
AI-generated insights based on extensive research and information for context. Factual errors? Email [email protected].