This morning's General Audience began at 9:20am local time (3:20am EDT) 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 address, the Pope added his meditation on his recent Apostolic voyage to Ireland to celebrate the IX World Meeting of Families (Gospel passage: Psalms 128:1-6).
After having summarized his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father issued greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance.
He then issued a call on the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for the care of creation which will be observed on 1 September.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Last weekend, I travelled to Ireland to take part in the World Meeting of Families: I am sure that you watched it on television. My presence was - above all - intended to confirm Christian families in their vocation and their mission. The thousands of families - spouses, grandparents, children - gathered in Dublin, with all the variety of their languages, cultures and experiences, were an eloquent sign of the beauty of God's dream for the entire human family. And we know this dream: God's dream is unity, harmony and peace, in families and in the world, the fruit of fidelity, forgiveness and reconciliation that he has given us in Christ. He calls families to participate in this dream and to make the world a home where nobody is alone, nobody is unwanted, nobody is excluded. Think about this: what God wants is that nobody is alone, nobody is unwanted, nobody is excluded. Thus the theme of this World Meeting was very appropriate. The theme was: The Gospel of the family, joy for the world.
I am grateful to the President of Ireland, to the Prime Minister, to the various governmental, civil and religious authorities, and to the many people at every level who helped to prepare for and to execute the events that were part of the Meeting. And thank you very much to the Bishops who worked so hard. Speaking to the Authorities in Dublin Castle, I reiterated the fact that the Church is a family of families, and that, like a body, she supports each one of her cells in its indispensable role, promoting the development of a fraternal and supportive society.
The truly enlightening points of these days were the testimonies of conjugal love provided by couples of all ages. Their stories reminded us that the love of marriage is a special gift from God, to be cultivated every day in the domestic church that is the family. How much the world needs a revolution of love, a revolution of tenderness which will save us from the current throw-away culture! And this revolution begins in the heart of the family.
In the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin, I met spouses who are engaged in the Church and many young married couples who have many young children. Then I met some families who are facing particular challenges and difficulties. Thanks to the Capuchin Friars, who are always close to the people, and to the wider ecclesial family, they experience solidarity and support that are the fruit of charity.
The high point of my visit was the great festival with families, held on Saturday evening in the Dublin stadium, followed on Sunday with the Mass celebrated in Phoenix Park. During the vigil, we heard very touching testimonies from families who have suffered because of war, families who have been renewed through forgiveness, families who have been saved from the spiral of dependence through love, families who have learned how to use cellphones and tablets well and who give priority to spending time together. And the value of communication between generations and the specific role of grandparents in consolidating family ties and transmitting the treasure of faith were also highlighted. Today - it is hard to say - but it seems that grandparents are a nuisance. In this culture of waste, grandparents are discarded, they are distanced from their children and grandchildren. But grandparents are wise, they are the memory of a people, the memory of families! And grandparents must pass on this memory to their grandchildren. Young people and children must talk with their grandparents in order to carry on the story. Please: do not discard your grandparents. Let them be close to your children, to their grandchildren.
On Sunday morning, I made a pilgrimage to the Marian Shrine of Knock, which is so dear to the Irish people. There, in the chapel that was built on the place where the Virgin appeared, I entrusted all families to her maternal protection, especially the families of Ireland. And although my journey did not include a visit to Northern Ireland, I greeted the people of that region cordially and encouraged the process of reconciliation, pacification, friendship and ecumenical cooperation.
My visit to Ireland, in addition to great joy, also bore pain and bitterness for the suffering caused in that country by various forms of abuse, even by members of the Church, and the fact that the ecclesiastical authorities in the past were not always able to deal appropriately with these crimes. A profound sign of this pain was left by the meeting I had with some of the survivors - there were eight-; and on several occasions I asked the Lord for forgiveness for these sins, for the scandal and the sense of betrayal that resulted. The Irish Bishops have undertaken a serious path of purification and reconciliation with those who have suffered abuse, and with the help of national authorities have established a series of strict rules to ensure the safety of young people. And then, in my meeting with the Bishops, I encouraged them in their efforts to remedy the failures of the past with honesty and courage, trusting in the Lord's promises and counting on the profound faith of the Irish people, to inaugurate a season of renewal for the Church in Ireland. In Ireland there is faith, there are people of faith: a faith with great roots. But do you know something? There are few vocations to the priesthood. Why does this faith fail? For these problems, the scandals, many things ... We must pray for the Lord to send holy priests to Ireland, send new vocations. And we will do it together, praying an Ave Maria to the Madonna of Knock. Hail Mary ... Lord Jesus, send us holy priests.
Dear brothers and sisters, the World Meeting of Families in Dublin was a prophetic, comforting experience of many families committed to the evangelical way of living marriage and family life; families who are disciples and missionaries, source of goodness, holiness, justice and peace. We forget so many families - so many! - who care for their families, their children, with fidelity, asking for forgiveness when there are problems. We forget why today it is fashionable in magazines, in newspapers, to talk like this: This one has been divorced from this one ... That one from that one ... And the separation ... But please: this is a bad thing. It's true: I respect everyone, we must respect people, but the ideal is not divorce, the ideal is not separation, the ideal is not the destruction of the family. The ideal is the united family. So let us continue: this is ideal!
The next World Meeting of Families will be held in Rome in 2021. Let us entrust all families to the protection of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, that in their homes, parishes and communities, they may truly be sources of joy for the world.
The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized in various languages and His Holiness offered specific greetings to each group of pilgrims in attendance. To English-speaking visitors, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially those from Ghana, South Africa, Korea and the United States of America. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!
At the conclusion of the General Audience, the Holy Father issued the following call:
Next Saturday, 1 September, will be the World Day of Prayer for the care of creation, which we celebrate in union with our Orthodox brothers and sisters in union with other Churches and Christian communities.
In the Message for this year, I want to re-focus our attention on the question of water, one of the primary gifts which we must care for and make available to everyone.
I am grateful for the various initiatives which in various places, particular Churches, Institutes of Consecrated Life and ecclesial groups have organized. I invite all people to be united in prayer on Saturday for our common home, for the care of our common home.
In his address, the Pope added his meditation on his recent Apostolic voyage to Ireland to celebrate the IX World Meeting of Families (Gospel passage: Psalms 128:1-6).
After having summarized his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father issued greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance.
He then issued a call on the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for the care of creation which will be observed on 1 September.
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 travelled to Ireland to take part in the World Meeting of Families: I am sure that you watched it on television. My presence was - above all - intended to confirm Christian families in their vocation and their mission. The thousands of families - spouses, grandparents, children - gathered in Dublin, with all the variety of their languages, cultures and experiences, were an eloquent sign of the beauty of God's dream for the entire human family. And we know this dream: God's dream is unity, harmony and peace, in families and in the world, the fruit of fidelity, forgiveness and reconciliation that he has given us in Christ. He calls families to participate in this dream and to make the world a home where nobody is alone, nobody is unwanted, nobody is excluded. Think about this: what God wants is that nobody is alone, nobody is unwanted, nobody is excluded. Thus the theme of this World Meeting was very appropriate. The theme was: The Gospel of the family, joy for the world.
I am grateful to the President of Ireland, to the Prime Minister, to the various governmental, civil and religious authorities, and to the many people at every level who helped to prepare for and to execute the events that were part of the Meeting. And thank you very much to the Bishops who worked so hard. Speaking to the Authorities in Dublin Castle, I reiterated the fact that the Church is a family of families, and that, like a body, she supports each one of her cells in its indispensable role, promoting the development of a fraternal and supportive society.
The truly enlightening points of these days were the testimonies of conjugal love provided by couples of all ages. Their stories reminded us that the love of marriage is a special gift from God, to be cultivated every day in the domestic church that is the family. How much the world needs a revolution of love, a revolution of tenderness which will save us from the current throw-away culture! And this revolution begins in the heart of the family.
In the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin, I met spouses who are engaged in the Church and many young married couples who have many young children. Then I met some families who are facing particular challenges and difficulties. Thanks to the Capuchin Friars, who are always close to the people, and to the wider ecclesial family, they experience solidarity and support that are the fruit of charity.
The high point of my visit was the great festival with families, held on Saturday evening in the Dublin stadium, followed on Sunday with the Mass celebrated in Phoenix Park. During the vigil, we heard very touching testimonies from families who have suffered because of war, families who have been renewed through forgiveness, families who have been saved from the spiral of dependence through love, families who have learned how to use cellphones and tablets well and who give priority to spending time together. And the value of communication between generations and the specific role of grandparents in consolidating family ties and transmitting the treasure of faith were also highlighted. Today - it is hard to say - but it seems that grandparents are a nuisance. In this culture of waste, grandparents are discarded, they are distanced from their children and grandchildren. But grandparents are wise, they are the memory of a people, the memory of families! And grandparents must pass on this memory to their grandchildren. Young people and children must talk with their grandparents in order to carry on the story. Please: do not discard your grandparents. Let them be close to your children, to their grandchildren.
On Sunday morning, I made a pilgrimage to the Marian Shrine of Knock, which is so dear to the Irish people. There, in the chapel that was built on the place where the Virgin appeared, I entrusted all families to her maternal protection, especially the families of Ireland. And although my journey did not include a visit to Northern Ireland, I greeted the people of that region cordially and encouraged the process of reconciliation, pacification, friendship and ecumenical cooperation.
My visit to Ireland, in addition to great joy, also bore pain and bitterness for the suffering caused in that country by various forms of abuse, even by members of the Church, and the fact that the ecclesiastical authorities in the past were not always able to deal appropriately with these crimes. A profound sign of this pain was left by the meeting I had with some of the survivors - there were eight-; and on several occasions I asked the Lord for forgiveness for these sins, for the scandal and the sense of betrayal that resulted. The Irish Bishops have undertaken a serious path of purification and reconciliation with those who have suffered abuse, and with the help of national authorities have established a series of strict rules to ensure the safety of young people. And then, in my meeting with the Bishops, I encouraged them in their efforts to remedy the failures of the past with honesty and courage, trusting in the Lord's promises and counting on the profound faith of the Irish people, to inaugurate a season of renewal for the Church in Ireland. In Ireland there is faith, there are people of faith: a faith with great roots. But do you know something? There are few vocations to the priesthood. Why does this faith fail? For these problems, the scandals, many things ... We must pray for the Lord to send holy priests to Ireland, send new vocations. And we will do it together, praying an Ave Maria to the Madonna of Knock. Hail Mary ... Lord Jesus, send us holy priests.
Dear brothers and sisters, the World Meeting of Families in Dublin was a prophetic, comforting experience of many families committed to the evangelical way of living marriage and family life; families who are disciples and missionaries, source of goodness, holiness, justice and peace. We forget so many families - so many! - who care for their families, their children, with fidelity, asking for forgiveness when there are problems. We forget why today it is fashionable in magazines, in newspapers, to talk like this: This one has been divorced from this one ... That one from that one ... And the separation ... But please: this is a bad thing. It's true: I respect everyone, we must respect people, but the ideal is not divorce, the ideal is not separation, the ideal is not the destruction of the family. The ideal is the united family. So let us continue: this is ideal!
The next World Meeting of Families will be held in Rome in 2021. Let us entrust all families to the protection of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, that in their homes, parishes and communities, they may truly be sources of joy for the world.
The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized in various languages and His Holiness offered specific greetings to each group of pilgrims in attendance. To English-speaking visitors, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially those from Ghana, South Africa, Korea and the United States of America. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!
At the conclusion of the General Audience, the Holy Father issued the following call:
Next Saturday, 1 September, will be the World Day of Prayer for the care of creation, which we celebrate in union with our Orthodox brothers and sisters in union with other Churches and Christian communities.
In the Message for this year, I want to re-focus our attention on the question of water, one of the primary gifts which we must care for and make available to everyone.
I am grateful for the various initiatives which in various places, particular Churches, Institutes of Consecrated Life and ecclesial groups have organized. I invite all people to be united in prayer on Saturday for our common home, for the care of our common home.
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