This morning’s General Audience was held at 10:30am in Saint
Peter’s Square, where 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. In his catechesis, spoken
in Italian, the Pope continued the new cycle of teachings on the subject of the
Ministry of the Church, and concentrated particularly today on the theme of the
Church as the People of God.
Following the syntheses of the catechesis, spoken in various
languages, Pope Francis expressed particular greetings to the groups of
faithful who were present. He then
issued a call to the International community on the occasion of the World Day
against under-aged workers.
As usual, the General Audience was concluded with the
singing of the Pater Noster and the
Apostolic Blessing.
Catechesis of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the General Audience
for the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today, I would like to focus briefly on another of the terms with which the Second Vatican Council defined the Church, that of the People of God (cf. Dogmatic Constitution, Lumen gentium, 9; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 782). And I will do it with a series of questions, on which everyone can reflect.
1. What does it mean to be the People of God? First of all, it means that God doesn't belong, in any particular way, to any given people; because it is He who calls us, who convokes us, who invites us to be part of his people, and this invitation is offered to everyone, without distinction because the mercy of God wants everyone to be saved (1 Tm 2:4). Jesus doesn't say to the Apostles or to us that he wants us to form an exclusive group, a group of the elite. Jesus says: go and make disciples of all people (cf Mt 28:19). Saint Paul affirms that in the People of God, in the Church, there can be neither Jew nor Greek ... for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28). I wish also to say to those who feel distanced from God and from the Church, to those who are timid or indifferent, to those who think that they are no longer able to change: the Lord is also calling you to be part of his people and he does so with great respect and love! He invites us all to be part of his people, the people of God.
2. How do we become members of this people? Not by means of our physical birth, but by a new birth. In the Gospel, Jesus says to Nicodemus that he must be born from above, by water and the Spirit in order to enter into the Kingdom of God (cf. Jn 3:3-5). It is through Baptism that we are introduced to this people, by faith in Christ, the gift of God which must be nurtured and fed throughout our lives. Let us ask ourselves: how can I grow in the faith that I received at my Baptism? How can I strengthen the faith that I have received and that the people of God possess?
3. Another question. What is the law of the People of God? It is the law of love, love of God and love of others according to the new commandment that the Lord has given (cf. Jn 13:34). This is a love that is not a sterile sentimentality or something vague, but the recognition of God as the only Lord of life and at the same time, the acceptance of the other as a true brother, overcoming divisions, rivalries, misunderstandings and selfishness: the two loves go together. How far we still have to go to live this new law concretely, the law that the Spirit places in us, the law of charity, of love! When we are reading newspapers or watching television, we see so many wars between Christians, but how can this happen? Among the people of God, so many wars! In our neighbourhoods, in our places of work, how many wars there are because of envy and jealousy! Even in the same family, how many internal wars there are! We must ask the Lord to help us better understand this law of love. How good it is to love and to be loved, one by another, like true brothers. How good it is! Let us do one thing today. Maybe we all have likes and dislikes; maybe we are a little angry with someone; so let us say to the Lord: Lord, I'm angry with this one or with that one; I pray to you for him or for her. To pray for those with whom we are angry is already a good step toward living this law of love. Will we do it? Let's do it today!
4. What mission is entrusted to these people? The mission of announcing to the world the hope and the salvation of God: to be signs of the love of God who calls all of us to love as He loves; to be yeast that makes all the pasta rise, salt that gives flavour and which preserves us from corruption, to be a light which illuminates. All around us, we just need to open a newspaper - I told you - to see that the presence of evil exists, the Devil is at work. But I want to say out loud: God is stronger! Do you believe it: that God is stronger? Let us say it together, let us say it together, all of us: God is stronger! And do you know why he is stronger? Because He is the Lord, the one Lord. I would add also that even though situations are sometimes dark, marked by evil, they can change, if we begin by carrying the light of the Gospel and announcing it above all with our lives. If in one stadium, we can think here in Rome of the Olympic stadium or of the San Lorenzo stadium in Buenos Aires, on a dark night, if one person lights a torch, we might barely be able to distinguish it, but if seventy thousand other spectators each also lights a torch, the stadium would be brightly lit. Let us make of our lives a light of Christ; together let us bear the light of the Gospel to the whole world.
5. What is the purpose of this people? The purpose is the Kingdom of God, begun on earth by God himself, and meant to be expanded through the ages, until Christ comes again, he who is our life (cf Lumen gentium, 9). The aim of our lives is therefore full communion with the Lord, familiarity with the Lord, to enter into his divine life, where we will live the joy of his love without measure, joy in all its fullness.
Dear brothers and sisters, to be the Church, to be the People of God, in the grand design of the Father's love, we must be the leaven of God in the midst of humanity. It means that we must announce and be witnesses to the salvation of God in our world, which is often lost, in need of answers that encourage, that give hope, that provide new energy for our journey. The Church is the place where the mercy and the hope of God can be found, where everyone can feel welcome, loved, forgiven, encouraged and can live according to the good life of the Gospel. And in order to make the other feel welcome, loved, forgiven and encouraged, the Church must always leave its doors open, so that everyone can enter. And we must also go out by those doors to announce the Gospel.
Following the Pope's catechesis, spoken in Italian, syntheses of this teaching were also given in various languages. Then the Holy Father offered greetings to groups of pilgrims according to their language groups. Here is the text of the greeting which was offered to English-speaking pilgrims:
I offer an affectionate greeting to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, including those from England, Scotland, Ireland, Malta, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the United States. May your stay in the Eternal City confirm you in love for our Lord and his Church. God bless you all!
After the greetings offered to each of the linguistic groupings of pilgrims, the Holy Father made a special appeal on behalf of child labourers.
Today, throughout the world, we celebrate the World Day against child labour, with a particular reference to the exploitation of children in domestic work: a deplorable condition which is still on the increase, especially in poorer countries. There are millions of minors, mostly girls, who are victims of this hidden form of exploitation which also often involves abuse, mistreatment and discrimination. This is real slavery!
I sincerely hope that the international Community can initiate more effective measures to tackle this real scourge. All children should be able to play, study, pray and grow in their own families, in a context of harmony, love and serenity. This is their right, and our duty. There are so many people who, instead of allowing children to play, make them slaves. This is a plague. A serene childhood allows children to look with confidence towards life and the future. Woe to him who stifles within them the joyful enthusiasm of hope!
2. How do we become members of this people? Not by means of our physical birth, but by a new birth. In the Gospel, Jesus says to Nicodemus that he must be born from above, by water and the Spirit in order to enter into the Kingdom of God (cf. Jn 3:3-5). It is through Baptism that we are introduced to this people, by faith in Christ, the gift of God which must be nurtured and fed throughout our lives. Let us ask ourselves: how can I grow in the faith that I received at my Baptism? How can I strengthen the faith that I have received and that the people of God possess?
3. Another question. What is the law of the People of God? It is the law of love, love of God and love of others according to the new commandment that the Lord has given (cf. Jn 13:34). This is a love that is not a sterile sentimentality or something vague, but the recognition of God as the only Lord of life and at the same time, the acceptance of the other as a true brother, overcoming divisions, rivalries, misunderstandings and selfishness: the two loves go together. How far we still have to go to live this new law concretely, the law that the Spirit places in us, the law of charity, of love! When we are reading newspapers or watching television, we see so many wars between Christians, but how can this happen? Among the people of God, so many wars! In our neighbourhoods, in our places of work, how many wars there are because of envy and jealousy! Even in the same family, how many internal wars there are! We must ask the Lord to help us better understand this law of love. How good it is to love and to be loved, one by another, like true brothers. How good it is! Let us do one thing today. Maybe we all have likes and dislikes; maybe we are a little angry with someone; so let us say to the Lord: Lord, I'm angry with this one or with that one; I pray to you for him or for her. To pray for those with whom we are angry is already a good step toward living this law of love. Will we do it? Let's do it today!
4. What mission is entrusted to these people? The mission of announcing to the world the hope and the salvation of God: to be signs of the love of God who calls all of us to love as He loves; to be yeast that makes all the pasta rise, salt that gives flavour and which preserves us from corruption, to be a light which illuminates. All around us, we just need to open a newspaper - I told you - to see that the presence of evil exists, the Devil is at work. But I want to say out loud: God is stronger! Do you believe it: that God is stronger? Let us say it together, let us say it together, all of us: God is stronger! And do you know why he is stronger? Because He is the Lord, the one Lord. I would add also that even though situations are sometimes dark, marked by evil, they can change, if we begin by carrying the light of the Gospel and announcing it above all with our lives. If in one stadium, we can think here in Rome of the Olympic stadium or of the San Lorenzo stadium in Buenos Aires, on a dark night, if one person lights a torch, we might barely be able to distinguish it, but if seventy thousand other spectators each also lights a torch, the stadium would be brightly lit. Let us make of our lives a light of Christ; together let us bear the light of the Gospel to the whole world.
5. What is the purpose of this people? The purpose is the Kingdom of God, begun on earth by God himself, and meant to be expanded through the ages, until Christ comes again, he who is our life (cf Lumen gentium, 9). The aim of our lives is therefore full communion with the Lord, familiarity with the Lord, to enter into his divine life, where we will live the joy of his love without measure, joy in all its fullness.
Dear brothers and sisters, to be the Church, to be the People of God, in the grand design of the Father's love, we must be the leaven of God in the midst of humanity. It means that we must announce and be witnesses to the salvation of God in our world, which is often lost, in need of answers that encourage, that give hope, that provide new energy for our journey. The Church is the place where the mercy and the hope of God can be found, where everyone can feel welcome, loved, forgiven, encouraged and can live according to the good life of the Gospel. And in order to make the other feel welcome, loved, forgiven and encouraged, the Church must always leave its doors open, so that everyone can enter. And we must also go out by those doors to announce the Gospel.
Following the Pope's catechesis, spoken in Italian, syntheses of this teaching were also given in various languages. Then the Holy Father offered greetings to groups of pilgrims according to their language groups. Here is the text of the greeting which was offered to English-speaking pilgrims:
I offer an affectionate greeting to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, including those from England, Scotland, Ireland, Malta, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the United States. May your stay in the Eternal City confirm you in love for our Lord and his Church. God bless you all!
After the greetings offered to each of the linguistic groupings of pilgrims, the Holy Father made a special appeal on behalf of child labourers.
Today, throughout the world, we celebrate the World Day against child labour, with a particular reference to the exploitation of children in domestic work: a deplorable condition which is still on the increase, especially in poorer countries. There are millions of minors, mostly girls, who are victims of this hidden form of exploitation which also often involves abuse, mistreatment and discrimination. This is real slavery!
I sincerely hope that the international Community can initiate more effective measures to tackle this real scourge. All children should be able to play, study, pray and grow in their own families, in a context of harmony, love and serenity. This is their right, and our duty. There are so many people who, instead of allowing children to play, make them slaves. This is a plague. A serene childhood allows children to look with confidence towards life and the future. Woe to him who stifles within them the joyful enthusiasm of hope!
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