Pope Francis calls for review of hedonistic, consumerist aesthetic standards

Pope Francis called for a re-evaluation of the aesthetic standards prevalent in today's world, particularly those driven by hedonism and consumerism. Speaking at Castel Gandolfo on the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the pontiff warned that these pressures risk trapping individuals in burdensome conditions.

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The glorification of Mary in soul and body teaches us that our true beauty does not consist in hiding the signs of passing time, but in showing also in our flesh the signs of the love that never ends.

He stated that such pressures lead to the squandering of valuable energy on matters that are neither truly important nor lasting. The glorification of Mary's body and soul, he explained, teaches that genuine beauty is not found in concealing the passage of time but in bearing the marks of eternal love within one's own flesh.

"Love is the most beautiful ornament of man: the love that transfigures, transforms, ennobles and lifts up; that makes us light, free, close to God, even through life's ups and downs," the Pope declared. He observed that people marked by years and suffering can radiate serenity and peace, while others, though outwardly attractive, may be inwardly cold.

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Love is the most beautiful ornament of man: the love that transfigures, transforms, ennobles and lifts up; that makes us light, free, close to God, even through life's ups and downs.

To truly perceive and spread the "divine beauty that surrounds us and for which we have been created," Francis urged listeners to find it in the tender face of a child, the wrinkles of an elder, the vibrancy of youth, and the composure of adulthood. He also suggested looking for it in the adornments of celebration as well as in work attire and tools.

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To truly discover the 'divine beauty that surrounds us and for which we have been created, as well as to spread it around us, we must learn to read it both in the tender face of a child as well as in the wrinkles of an elder, in the vivacity of a young person as well as in the composure of an adult, in the adornments of the party as well as in the clothes and tools of work.