The International Academy of Catholic Leaders has received the resignation of former Costa Rican President Miguel Ángel Rodríguez from his position on our International Council. He does so at a time when his name has once again been subjected to public suspicion, in a context marked by misunderstanding and ideological polarization. In light of this decision, we wish to express not only our respect but also our admiration for the gesture of greatness that represents his voluntarily withdrawing from a space where his presence has always been valuable, so as not to affect the mission of the Academy with a personal situation still shrouded in shadows.

This detachment is, in itself, a political and Christian act: giving up one’s own place to care for the community. In a time when the common good is often sacrificed in the name of individual or partisan interests, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez offers us a silent lesson in what it means to serve in truth.

Truth is the most besieged value in public life today. Contemporary politics, in many countries, has become a field where suspicion prevails over trust, where discourse revolves more around power than service, and where the dignity of the person is relegated to calculation and ideology. In this hostile terrain, a Christian politician cannot aspire to comfort. His vocation places him in the uncomfortable place of the cross: not always visible in blood, but in the surrender of fame, in the renunciation of tranquility, in the weariness of bearing attacks, misunderstandings, and judgments, often disproportionate.

This bloodless martyrdom—that of public image, of wounded honor, of social misunderstanding—is one of the most demanding forms of Christian witness in our time. Those who choose to serve in politics out of faith know they will be tested, that they will face accusations, and that their fidelity will not be measured by immediate acclaim, but by the firmness with which they continue to defend the common good when all else seems to be against them.

Therefore, former President Rodríguez’s resignation cannot be interpreted as an abandonment, but rather as a reaffirmation of his commitment to the truth. His acceptance of stepping away from the Academy, even though we know his personal worth and contribution as a leading figure, shows that his sights are set on something greater than himself: the pursuit of a mission that transcends his personality.

As an Academy, it is not our responsibility to legally defend his cause. What is our responsibility is to remember what it means to be a Christian politician in today’s world. It is not a life free of conflict or suspicion, but a life where the cross is embodied in the form of persecution, criticism, and painful renunciation. But being a disciple of Christ is precisely this: taking up the cross and following him, convinced that the truth, even if it takes time to prevail, always finds a way.

Politics, as it is currently practiced, can seem like a poisoned field of empty disputes and discourses far removed from human dignity. However, we Christians cannot renounce this space, because there too God asks us to be present as servants, as witnesses, as sowers of hope. There we must remember that salvation does not come from a party or a leader, but from the One who died on the cross and rose again to give life to the world.

Our mission is not to proclaim political saviors, but to form men and women who understand that the true light is Christ and that their task in politics is to reflect it in concrete actions: in caring for the common good, in defending the dignity of every person, in caring for the poorest and most vulnerable, in safeguarding the common home we share.

Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, with his successes and failures, has demonstrated this willingness to serve, to accept the cross, and not to make his public life a cause of scandal, but rather a testimony of perseverance. Today, in accepting his resignation, the International Academy of Catholic Leaders reaffirms that our mission does not depend on a name, but on a horizon: that of forming leaders capable of bearing witness to the faith in public life, even when it means bearing the wounds of service.

In a world where power easily becomes an idol, we need to remember that the only authentic criterion of Christian politics remains the Gospel: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Mario J. Paredes is President of the Board of Directors of the International Academy of Catholic Leaders