This morning's General Audience began at 10:00am in Saint Peter's Square, where the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with groups of pilgrims and the faithful from Italy and from every corner of the world.
In his speech, the Pope focused his meditation on his recent voyage to Georgia and Azerbaijan.
After summarizing his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered greetings to each of the groups of the faithful in attendance.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Last weekend, I made an Apostolic voyage to Georgia and Azerbaijan. I give thanks to the Lord who allowed me to renew the expression of my gratitude to the civil and religious authorities of those two countries, especially the Patriarch of all Georgia, Illia II - whose witness was so good for my heart and my soul - and the Muslim Sheik of the Caucasus. My fraternal gratitude to the Bishops, priests, religious men and women and to all the faithful who surrounded me with their warm affection.
This trip was the continuation and the completion of the one begun in Armenia in the month of June. In this way, I was able - thank God - to realize the plan to visit all three countries of the Caucasus, to confirm the Catholic Church that is alive there and to encourage the journey of those people toward peace and fraternity. The two mottos of this last journey were also brought to life: Pax Vobis for the trip to Georgia and We are all brothers in Azerbaijan.
Both of these countries have very ancient historical, cultural and religious roots, but at the same time, they are living a new phase; in fact, both of them are celebrating the 25th year of their independence this year, having lived for the majority of the twentieth century under the Soviet regime. At this stage, they are encountering many difficulties in different areas of social life. The Catholic Church is called to be present, to be close, especially as a sign of charity and of promoting the values of humanity; to seek out opportunities to create communion with other Churches and Christian communities and to be in dialogue with other religious communities, in the certainty that God is the Father of all and we are his sons and daughters.
In Georgia, this mission is naturally encountering collaboration with other Orthodox brothers, who make up the majority of the population. For this reason, it was a very important sign that when I arrived in Tbilisi, there at the airport to meet me, together with the President of the Republic, I also met the venerated Patriarch, Illia II. My meeting with him that afternoon was very moving, as was my visit to the Patriarchal Cathedral on the following day, where we venerated the relic of Christ's sacred tunic, a symbol of the unity of the Church. This unity is confirmed in the blood of all the martyrs from various Christian confessions. Among the communities that are most tried are the Assyrian-Chaldeans, with whom I shared in Tbilisi an intense moment of prayer for peace in Syria, in Iraq and throughout the Middle East.
The Mass with the Catholic faithful of Georgia - Latin, Armenian and Assyrian-Chaldean - was celebrated in memory of Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus, patroness of the missions: she reminds us that true mission is never a matter of proselytism, but of being attracted to Jesus through strong ties of union with him through prayer, adoration and concrete signs of charity, service to Jesus offered to the least of our brothers. This is what is being done by the religious men and women I encountered in Tbilisi and in Baku: they accomplish this task with prayer and with charitable work. I encouraged them to be firm in faith, with memory, courage and hope. And then, there are Christian families: how precious it was to witness their welcoming presence, their accompaniment, their discernment and their integration in the community!
This style of evangelical presence as seeds of God's kingdom is, if possible, even more necessary in Azerbaijan, where the majority of the population is Muslim and there are only a few hundred Christians, but thank God, they enjoy good relationships with everyone, especially the fraternal bonds they maintain with Orthodox Christians. For this reason, in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, we experienced two moments that demonstrated to us the fact that faith is kept in good relationships: the Eucharist and the inter-religious meeting. The Eucharist with the small Catholic community, where the Spirit harmonizes different languages and gives the strength of witness; and this communion in Christ does not impede, in fact it compels them to seek out opportunities for encounter and dialogue with all those who believe in God, in order to build together a world that is more just and fraternal. In this way, I wish to address the Azerbaijani authorities, expressing my hope that their open questions may find good solutions and that the people of the Caucasus may be able to live in peace and mutual respect.
May God bless Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, and be close to his holy people as they continue their pilgrimage in those countries.
(Original text in Italian)
Summaries of the above catechesis were then presented in various languages, and the Holy Father offered greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from England, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Australia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and the United States of America. Upon all of you, I invoke the mercy and peace of the Lord, praying that you may share these gifts with all whom you will encounter. May God bless you!
In his speech, the Pope focused his meditation on his recent voyage to Georgia and Azerbaijan.
After summarizing his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered greetings to each of the groups of the faithful in attendance.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic blessing.
Catechesis of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Last weekend, I made an Apostolic voyage to Georgia and Azerbaijan. I give thanks to the Lord who allowed me to renew the expression of my gratitude to the civil and religious authorities of those two countries, especially the Patriarch of all Georgia, Illia II - whose witness was so good for my heart and my soul - and the Muslim Sheik of the Caucasus. My fraternal gratitude to the Bishops, priests, religious men and women and to all the faithful who surrounded me with their warm affection.
This trip was the continuation and the completion of the one begun in Armenia in the month of June. In this way, I was able - thank God - to realize the plan to visit all three countries of the Caucasus, to confirm the Catholic Church that is alive there and to encourage the journey of those people toward peace and fraternity. The two mottos of this last journey were also brought to life: Pax Vobis for the trip to Georgia and We are all brothers in Azerbaijan.
Both of these countries have very ancient historical, cultural and religious roots, but at the same time, they are living a new phase; in fact, both of them are celebrating the 25th year of their independence this year, having lived for the majority of the twentieth century under the Soviet regime. At this stage, they are encountering many difficulties in different areas of social life. The Catholic Church is called to be present, to be close, especially as a sign of charity and of promoting the values of humanity; to seek out opportunities to create communion with other Churches and Christian communities and to be in dialogue with other religious communities, in the certainty that God is the Father of all and we are his sons and daughters.
In Georgia, this mission is naturally encountering collaboration with other Orthodox brothers, who make up the majority of the population. For this reason, it was a very important sign that when I arrived in Tbilisi, there at the airport to meet me, together with the President of the Republic, I also met the venerated Patriarch, Illia II. My meeting with him that afternoon was very moving, as was my visit to the Patriarchal Cathedral on the following day, where we venerated the relic of Christ's sacred tunic, a symbol of the unity of the Church. This unity is confirmed in the blood of all the martyrs from various Christian confessions. Among the communities that are most tried are the Assyrian-Chaldeans, with whom I shared in Tbilisi an intense moment of prayer for peace in Syria, in Iraq and throughout the Middle East.
The Mass with the Catholic faithful of Georgia - Latin, Armenian and Assyrian-Chaldean - was celebrated in memory of Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus, patroness of the missions: she reminds us that true mission is never a matter of proselytism, but of being attracted to Jesus through strong ties of union with him through prayer, adoration and concrete signs of charity, service to Jesus offered to the least of our brothers. This is what is being done by the religious men and women I encountered in Tbilisi and in Baku: they accomplish this task with prayer and with charitable work. I encouraged them to be firm in faith, with memory, courage and hope. And then, there are Christian families: how precious it was to witness their welcoming presence, their accompaniment, their discernment and their integration in the community!
This style of evangelical presence as seeds of God's kingdom is, if possible, even more necessary in Azerbaijan, where the majority of the population is Muslim and there are only a few hundred Christians, but thank God, they enjoy good relationships with everyone, especially the fraternal bonds they maintain with Orthodox Christians. For this reason, in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, we experienced two moments that demonstrated to us the fact that faith is kept in good relationships: the Eucharist and the inter-religious meeting. The Eucharist with the small Catholic community, where the Spirit harmonizes different languages and gives the strength of witness; and this communion in Christ does not impede, in fact it compels them to seek out opportunities for encounter and dialogue with all those who believe in God, in order to build together a world that is more just and fraternal. In this way, I wish to address the Azerbaijani authorities, expressing my hope that their open questions may find good solutions and that the people of the Caucasus may be able to live in peace and mutual respect.
May God bless Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, and be close to his holy people as they continue their pilgrimage in those countries.
(Original text in Italian)
Summaries of the above catechesis were then presented in various languages, and the Holy Father offered greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from England, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Australia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and the United States of America. Upon all of you, I invoke the mercy and peace of the Lord, praying that you may share these gifts with all whom you will encounter. May God bless you!
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