This morning's General Audience began at 10:00am in the Paul VI Hall. The Holy Father, Pope Francis met there with groups of pilgrims and with the faithful who had come from all parts of Italy and from all corners of the world.
During his discourse, the Pope continued the cycle of teachings on the family, focusing today on the figure of the father.
Following the summaries of his catechesis, offered as usual in various languages, the Holy Father addressed particular greetings to each of the groups of pilgrims present.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imposition of the Apostolic Blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Let us continue the journey of catecheses on the family. Today let us be guided by the word father. A word which is more beloved than any other by us Christians because it is the name that Jesus used for God: father. The meaning of this name received a new depth especially from the way in which Jesus used it in order to address God and to demonstrate his special relationship with Him. The blessed mystery of intimacy with God: Father, Son and Spirit, revealed by Jesus, is the heart of our Christian faith.
Father is a word that is known to everyone, a universal word. It indicates a fundamental relationship which is as old as human history. Today, however, we must admit that ours is a fatherless society. In other words, especially in the western world, the figure of the father is symbolically absent, gone, removed. At first, this was perceived as a liberation: a liberation from the father-master, from the father figure represented by the law which was imposed from outside, of the father as the overseer of the happiness of his children and an obstacle to the emancipation and the autonomy of the young. Sometimes, in some houses, an atmosphere of authoritarianism has even been overpowering: parents who treat their children like servants, not respecting the personal needs for their growth; fathers who do not help their children to freely follow their paths of personal growth - but it is not easy to teach a son with freedom - fathers who do not help their children to assume their proper responsibility to build their future and the future of society.
Certainly, this is not a good attitude: but, as often happens, things can go from one extreme to another. The problem today doesn't seem to be about the intrusive presence of fathers, but rather their absence, their inaction. Fathers are often so focused on themselves and on their own work and sometimes on their own individual realities that they forget about their families. They leave their children all alone. Even as Bishop of Buenos Aires, I had the sense of orphanhood that many children live today. I would often ask fathers if they ever spent time playing with their children, if they had the courage and the love for their children to waste time with them. And the response was startling, in many cases: Ah, I can't because I have so much work to do ... Fathers were so often absent from the lives of their children who were growing up, not playing with them, no, not wasting time with them.
Now, in this common journey of reflection on the family, I want to say to all Christian communities that we need to be more attentive: the absence of the father figure in the lives of their children causes an emptiness, an injury that can also be very serious. In fact, many deviations on the part of children and adolescents can be attributed to this lack, a lack of example and authoritative guides in the lives of our young, a lack of close relationships, a lack of love on the part of fathers. The sense of orphanhood that many young people live with today is deeper than we might think.
They are orphans, but within the family, because the fathers are often absent, even physically, from home but above all because when they are home, they do not behave like fathers, they do not have a dialogue with their children. They do not fulfil their educational task; they do not give to their children – with their example accompanied by words --, those principles, those values, those rules of life that they need, just as much as they need bread. The educational quality of the paternal presence is all the more necessary the more the father is constrained by work to be far from home. At times it seems that fathers do not know well what place to occupy in the family and how to educate the children. And then, in doubt, they abstain, they withdraw and neglect their responsibility, perhaps taking refuge in an improbable relationship on par with their children. However, it is true that you must be a companion to your child but without forgetting that you are a father. However, if you only behave as a companion on par with your child, you will not do the child any good.
However in this also, the civil community with its institutions has a responsibility, which we can say is paternal, towards young people, a responsibility that sometimes is neglected or exercised badly. It also often leaves orphans on the streets that we are sure to come across, orphans in search of teachers they can trust, orphans in search of ideals that warm the heart, orphans in search of values and hopes that sustain them daily. They are filled perhaps with idols, but they are not given work; they are deceived by the god of money and are denied the true riches.
And now it will do well to all, to fathers and to children, to hear again the promise Jesus made to his disciples: I will not leave you orphans (John 14:18). He is, in fact, the Way to follow, the Teacher to listen to, the Hope that the world can change, that love can overcome hatred, that there can be a future of fraternity and peace for all.
One of you might say to me: But, Father, you have been too negative today. You have spoken only of the absence of fathers, of what happens when fathers are not close to their children. It’s true. I wanted to stress this because next Wednesday I will continue this catechesis bringing to light the beauty of paternity. Therefore I chose to begin from the dark to come to the light. May the Lord help us to understand these things well. Thank you!
This catechesis was then repeated in various languages, and the Holy Father addressed particular 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 student groups from England and the United States of America. Upon you and your families I cordially invoke grace and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!
During his discourse, the Pope continued the cycle of teachings on the family, focusing today on the figure of the father.
Following the summaries of his catechesis, offered as usual in various languages, the Holy Father addressed particular greetings to each of the groups of pilgrims present.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imposition of the Apostolic Blessing.
Catechesis of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Let us continue the journey of catecheses on the family. Today let us be guided by the word father. A word which is more beloved than any other by us Christians because it is the name that Jesus used for God: father. The meaning of this name received a new depth especially from the way in which Jesus used it in order to address God and to demonstrate his special relationship with Him. The blessed mystery of intimacy with God: Father, Son and Spirit, revealed by Jesus, is the heart of our Christian faith.
Father is a word that is known to everyone, a universal word. It indicates a fundamental relationship which is as old as human history. Today, however, we must admit that ours is a fatherless society. In other words, especially in the western world, the figure of the father is symbolically absent, gone, removed. At first, this was perceived as a liberation: a liberation from the father-master, from the father figure represented by the law which was imposed from outside, of the father as the overseer of the happiness of his children and an obstacle to the emancipation and the autonomy of the young. Sometimes, in some houses, an atmosphere of authoritarianism has even been overpowering: parents who treat their children like servants, not respecting the personal needs for their growth; fathers who do not help their children to freely follow their paths of personal growth - but it is not easy to teach a son with freedom - fathers who do not help their children to assume their proper responsibility to build their future and the future of society.
Certainly, this is not a good attitude: but, as often happens, things can go from one extreme to another. The problem today doesn't seem to be about the intrusive presence of fathers, but rather their absence, their inaction. Fathers are often so focused on themselves and on their own work and sometimes on their own individual realities that they forget about their families. They leave their children all alone. Even as Bishop of Buenos Aires, I had the sense of orphanhood that many children live today. I would often ask fathers if they ever spent time playing with their children, if they had the courage and the love for their children to waste time with them. And the response was startling, in many cases: Ah, I can't because I have so much work to do ... Fathers were so often absent from the lives of their children who were growing up, not playing with them, no, not wasting time with them.
Now, in this common journey of reflection on the family, I want to say to all Christian communities that we need to be more attentive: the absence of the father figure in the lives of their children causes an emptiness, an injury that can also be very serious. In fact, many deviations on the part of children and adolescents can be attributed to this lack, a lack of example and authoritative guides in the lives of our young, a lack of close relationships, a lack of love on the part of fathers. The sense of orphanhood that many young people live with today is deeper than we might think.
They are orphans, but within the family, because the fathers are often absent, even physically, from home but above all because when they are home, they do not behave like fathers, they do not have a dialogue with their children. They do not fulfil their educational task; they do not give to their children – with their example accompanied by words --, those principles, those values, those rules of life that they need, just as much as they need bread. The educational quality of the paternal presence is all the more necessary the more the father is constrained by work to be far from home. At times it seems that fathers do not know well what place to occupy in the family and how to educate the children. And then, in doubt, they abstain, they withdraw and neglect their responsibility, perhaps taking refuge in an improbable relationship on par with their children. However, it is true that you must be a companion to your child but without forgetting that you are a father. However, if you only behave as a companion on par with your child, you will not do the child any good.
However in this also, the civil community with its institutions has a responsibility, which we can say is paternal, towards young people, a responsibility that sometimes is neglected or exercised badly. It also often leaves orphans on the streets that we are sure to come across, orphans in search of teachers they can trust, orphans in search of ideals that warm the heart, orphans in search of values and hopes that sustain them daily. They are filled perhaps with idols, but they are not given work; they are deceived by the god of money and are denied the true riches.
And now it will do well to all, to fathers and to children, to hear again the promise Jesus made to his disciples: I will not leave you orphans (John 14:18). He is, in fact, the Way to follow, the Teacher to listen to, the Hope that the world can change, that love can overcome hatred, that there can be a future of fraternity and peace for all.
One of you might say to me: But, Father, you have been too negative today. You have spoken only of the absence of fathers, of what happens when fathers are not close to their children. It’s true. I wanted to stress this because next Wednesday I will continue this catechesis bringing to light the beauty of paternity. Therefore I chose to begin from the dark to come to the light. May the Lord help us to understand these things well. Thank you!
This catechesis was then repeated in various languages, and the Holy Father addressed particular 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 student groups from England and the United States of America. Upon you and your families I cordially invoke grace and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!
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