László Krasznahorkai, the newly crowned Nobel laureate in literature, acknowledges humanity’s longing for salvation despite his secular view. Pope Leo XIV seems to respond: “A land without faith means creatures without salvation.”

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An imaginary background dialogue about salvation between the Pope and the Nobel laureate László Krasznahorkai.

Yesterday in St. Peter’s Square, before tens of thousands of faithful, Pope Leo XIV proclaimed seven men and women saints, stating without equivocation or reserve that «without faith in God there is no salvation».

He did so while commenting on Jesus’ question about faith and its disappearance from the world. «What would happen?», the Pope asked himself.

Listening to the homily of Pope Leo XIV we were reminded of the interview with László Krasznahorkai, the new Nobel Prize winner in literature, in which, even starting from a secularized paradigm, he recognizes humanity’s aspiration to salvation and the clear observation that «we are not able to save ourselves».

Obviously the Pope did not have in mind Krasznahorkai’s words during the homily; however it is possible to imagine it as a possible response to a very honest and truthful reflection.

 

Krasznahorkai: «We are not able to save ourselves»

Of Hungarian origin, László Krasznahorkai is considered the greatest living Hungarian writer and one of the most important in the world.

His novels, including “The World Goes On” and “Satantango”, have been praised also by “Vatican News” for the ethical and spiritual inquiry within the disorder of the world, in which he questions the destiny of man, the end of the world and the possibility of good.

Although he does not write religious novels, his characters always live before the mystery of existence.

This also emerges in the interview with “Corriere” a few days ago when the topic is the waiting for a savior.

«What else could we do? We are not able to save ourselves», Krasznahorkai comments.

«For a very, very, very long time we have not been waiting for prophets anymore», he continues, «because what we need are the false prophets. We need them to lie to us by saying that we have reasons to hope. That is what we need».

This is the biblical concept of false idols, those toward which man continually kneels hoping for salvation, for happiness. Success, money, sex, social recognition.

Instead, Krasznahorkai comments, «we know very well that we have no reason to hope». And he concludes with a secular hymn: «We pray to God and fear Evil. We never leave childhood behind. Above all, as adults, we are nothing but evil, depraved, miserable, losers, or bitterly victorious children».

Although he denied faith as childish, the Nobel Prize winner in literature does not deny the need within himself, however vain, to be saved.

One is reminded of that gospel passage in which John writes about Jesus Christ: «He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. He came among his own people, but his did not accept him» (John 1:10-11).

 

Pope Leo XIV: «Without God there is no salvation»

And it is here that yesterday’s homily of Pope Leo XIV fits in, which instead takes up the relationship with God as the only phenomenon that «saves from nothing everything that ends in time». And he adds: «A land without faith would be populated by children who live without a Father, that is by creatures without salvation».

Without God, says Leo XIV, «the sky and the earth would remain as before, but there would no longer be the hope in our hearts. Our desire for life would plunge into nothingness. Without faith in God, we cannot hope in salvation».

«The words of the Lord», the Pope concludes, «are a joyful announcement of salvation» which «is the gift of eternal life that we receive from the Father, through the Son, with the power of the Holy Spirit».

 

A surprising convergence

Who knows if László Krasznahorkai will have listened to or seriously reflected on these words of Pope Leo XIV.

Two figures at the antipodes yet with an unexpected convergence: on one side, a Pope who reaffirms faith as the only gateway to salvation, on the other a writer who, while denying God, recognizes that man is not sufficient unto himself and therefore awaits an answer, a prophet.

Between the lucid despair of the Hungarian novelist and the certainty of the Pontiff a common space opens up: the recognition that salvation, far from being an invention for the weak, is the most human and reasonable cry there is.