This morning's General Audience began at 10:00am in Saint Peter's Square. There, the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with groups of pilgrims and the faithful who had come from various parts of Italy and from every part of the world.
Before the General Audience, Pope Francis greeted a delegation from the Catholic-Muslim Forum in the antichamber of the Paul VI Hall. He then met with groups of sick children and some sick persons in wheelchairs in the Paul VI Hall.
In his discourse, the Pope continued the cycle of catechesis dedicated to the Church, adding a meditation on the necessary qualities and virtues for the exercise of pastoral ministry.
After having resumed his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father expressed particular greetings to the various groups of the faithful who were present. He then expressed a call toward the international community, calling for the mobilization of efforts in favour of persecuted Christians.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imparting of the Apostolic Blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning.
In the previous catechesis we saw how the Lord continues to feed His flock through the ministry of Bishops, helped by presbyters and deacons. It is in them that Jesus renders Himself present, in the power of His Spirit, and continues to serve the Church, nourishing in her faith, hope and the witness of charity. Therefore, these ministries are a great gift of the Lord for every Christian community and for the whole Church, in as much as they are a living sign of His presence and His love.
Today we want to ask ourselves: What is requested of these ministers of the Church, so that they can live their service in a genuine and fruitful way?
In his Pastoral Letters, sent to his disciples Timothy and Titus, the Apostle Paul reflects with care on the figure of Bishops, presbyters and deacons. There is also the figure of the faithful, of the elderly, of the youth. He focuses on a description of every Christian in the Church. He underlines for the Bishops, priests and deacons that to which they are called, and the prerogatives that must be recognized in them, who are chosen and invested with these ministries. Now, it is emblematic how, together with the gifts inherent in the faith and in the spiritual life, that can’t be overlooked in that very life, some exquisitely human qualities are listed: hospitality, sobriety, patience, meekness, reliability and goodness of heart. I repeat: hospitality, sobriety, patience, meekness, reliability and goodness of heart. This is the alphabet, the basic grammar of every ministry! It should be the basic grammar of every Bishop, of every priest and of every deacon! Yes, because without this good and genuine predisposition to encounter, to know, to dialogue, to appreciate and relate with ones brethren in a respectful and sincere way, it is not possible to offer a truly joyous and reliable service and witness.
There is, therefore, an underlying attitude that Paul recommends to his disciples and, consequently, to all those who are invested with the pastoral ministry, be they Bishops, priests or deacons. The Apostle exhorts all these to revive continually the gift that was received (cf 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6). This means that the awareness must always be alive that one is not a Bishop, priest or deacon because one is more intelligent, good and better than others, but only because of a gift of love, a gift of God freely given, in the power of His Spirit, for the good of His people. This awareness is truly important and is a grace to pray for every day! In fact, a Pastor who is conscious that his ministry flows only from the mercy and heart of God will never be able to assume an authoritarian attitude, as if everyone was at his feet and the community was his property, his personal kingdom.
The awareness that everything is gift, everything is grace, also helps a Pastor not to fall into the temptation to put himself at the centre of attention and to be confident only in himself. They are the temptations of vanity, of pride, of sufficiency, of arrogance. Woe if a Bishop, a priest or a deacon thinks he knows everything, that he always has the right answer for everything, and is in need of no one. On the contrary, the awareness that he is first of all the object of the mercy and compassion of God should lead a minister of the Church to be always humble and understanding in dealing with others. Also, in the awareness of being called to protect courageously the deposit of faith (cf 1 Timothy 6:20), he will listen to the people. He is conscious, in fact, of always having something to learn, also of those who can still be far from the faith and from the Church. With his own fellow Bishops, priests and deacons, all this should lead him to assume a new attitude, marked by sharing, co-responsibility and communion.
Dear friends, we must always be grateful to the Lord, because in the person and the ministry of Bishops, priests and deacons He continues to guide and to form His Church, making her grow along the way of holiness. At the same time, we must continue to pray, so that the Pastors of our communities can be a living image of communion and love of God.
In keeping with the established practice, this catechesis was summarized in various languages and the Holy Father then offered greetings to each group of pilgrims who were present. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including the various groups from England, Denmark, South Africa, Indonesia, Japan and the United States of America. I thanks the choirs for their praise of God in song. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke joy and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!
At the conclusion of the General Audience, the Holy Father gave the following appeal:
With great trepidation, I am following the dramatic events involving Christians who in various parts of the world are being persecuted and killed for their religious beliefs. I feel the need to express my profound spiritual closeness to the Christian community suffering most terribly from an absurd violence that shows no sign of coming to an end, even as I encourage pastors and all the faithful to be strong and firm in hope. Once again, I express a heartfelt appeal to all political leaders and local and international levels, as well as to all persons of good will, that they may undertake a large-scale mobilization of conscience in favour of Christians who are being persecuted. They have the right to discover peace and security in their own countries, freely professing their faith. And now, for all Christians, persecuted because they profess to be Christian, I invite you to pray an Our Father.
Before the General Audience, Pope Francis greeted a delegation from the Catholic-Muslim Forum in the antichamber of the Paul VI Hall. He then met with groups of sick children and some sick persons in wheelchairs in the Paul VI Hall.
In his discourse, the Pope continued the cycle of catechesis dedicated to the Church, adding a meditation on the necessary qualities and virtues for the exercise of pastoral ministry.
After having resumed his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father expressed particular greetings to the various groups of the faithful who were present. He then expressed a call toward the international community, calling for the mobilization of efforts in favour of persecuted Christians.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imparting of the Apostolic Blessing.
Catechesis of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning.
In the previous catechesis we saw how the Lord continues to feed His flock through the ministry of Bishops, helped by presbyters and deacons. It is in them that Jesus renders Himself present, in the power of His Spirit, and continues to serve the Church, nourishing in her faith, hope and the witness of charity. Therefore, these ministries are a great gift of the Lord for every Christian community and for the whole Church, in as much as they are a living sign of His presence and His love.
Today we want to ask ourselves: What is requested of these ministers of the Church, so that they can live their service in a genuine and fruitful way?
In his Pastoral Letters, sent to his disciples Timothy and Titus, the Apostle Paul reflects with care on the figure of Bishops, presbyters and deacons. There is also the figure of the faithful, of the elderly, of the youth. He focuses on a description of every Christian in the Church. He underlines for the Bishops, priests and deacons that to which they are called, and the prerogatives that must be recognized in them, who are chosen and invested with these ministries. Now, it is emblematic how, together with the gifts inherent in the faith and in the spiritual life, that can’t be overlooked in that very life, some exquisitely human qualities are listed: hospitality, sobriety, patience, meekness, reliability and goodness of heart. I repeat: hospitality, sobriety, patience, meekness, reliability and goodness of heart. This is the alphabet, the basic grammar of every ministry! It should be the basic grammar of every Bishop, of every priest and of every deacon! Yes, because without this good and genuine predisposition to encounter, to know, to dialogue, to appreciate and relate with ones brethren in a respectful and sincere way, it is not possible to offer a truly joyous and reliable service and witness.
There is, therefore, an underlying attitude that Paul recommends to his disciples and, consequently, to all those who are invested with the pastoral ministry, be they Bishops, priests or deacons. The Apostle exhorts all these to revive continually the gift that was received (cf 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6). This means that the awareness must always be alive that one is not a Bishop, priest or deacon because one is more intelligent, good and better than others, but only because of a gift of love, a gift of God freely given, in the power of His Spirit, for the good of His people. This awareness is truly important and is a grace to pray for every day! In fact, a Pastor who is conscious that his ministry flows only from the mercy and heart of God will never be able to assume an authoritarian attitude, as if everyone was at his feet and the community was his property, his personal kingdom.
The awareness that everything is gift, everything is grace, also helps a Pastor not to fall into the temptation to put himself at the centre of attention and to be confident only in himself. They are the temptations of vanity, of pride, of sufficiency, of arrogance. Woe if a Bishop, a priest or a deacon thinks he knows everything, that he always has the right answer for everything, and is in need of no one. On the contrary, the awareness that he is first of all the object of the mercy and compassion of God should lead a minister of the Church to be always humble and understanding in dealing with others. Also, in the awareness of being called to protect courageously the deposit of faith (cf 1 Timothy 6:20), he will listen to the people. He is conscious, in fact, of always having something to learn, also of those who can still be far from the faith and from the Church. With his own fellow Bishops, priests and deacons, all this should lead him to assume a new attitude, marked by sharing, co-responsibility and communion.
Dear friends, we must always be grateful to the Lord, because in the person and the ministry of Bishops, priests and deacons He continues to guide and to form His Church, making her grow along the way of holiness. At the same time, we must continue to pray, so that the Pastors of our communities can be a living image of communion and love of God.
In keeping with the established practice, this catechesis was summarized in various languages and the Holy Father then offered greetings to each group of pilgrims who were present. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including the various groups from England, Denmark, South Africa, Indonesia, Japan and the United States of America. I thanks the choirs for their praise of God in song. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke joy and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!
At the conclusion of the General Audience, the Holy Father gave the following appeal:
With great trepidation, I am following the dramatic events involving Christians who in various parts of the world are being persecuted and killed for their religious beliefs. I feel the need to express my profound spiritual closeness to the Christian community suffering most terribly from an absurd violence that shows no sign of coming to an end, even as I encourage pastors and all the faithful to be strong and firm in hope. Once again, I express a heartfelt appeal to all political leaders and local and international levels, as well as to all persons of good will, that they may undertake a large-scale mobilization of conscience in favour of Christians who are being persecuted. They have the right to discover peace and security in their own countries, freely professing their faith. And now, for all Christians, persecuted because they profess to be Christian, I invite you to pray an Our Father.
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