This morning's General Audience began at 10:00am in Saint Peter's Square. The Holy Father, Pope Francis met groups of pilgrims and the faithful who had come from various parts of Italy and all corners of the world.
During his discourse, the Pope continued the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the Church, adding a meditation on the theme of the catholicity and the universality of the Church.
After having summarized the Pontiff's teaching in various languages, the Holy Father himself offered greetings to each of the groups of the faithful who were present. He then called for prayers to be offered for his approaching journey to Albania.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imposition of the Apostolic Benediction.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning.
This week, we continue our conversation about the Church. When we profess our faith, we affirm that the Church is catholic and apostolic, but what exactly do these two words mean: these two characteristics of the Church? And what value do they add to the Christian community and to each one of us?
Catholic means universal. One complete and clear definition which is offered by one of the Fathers of the Church from the first few centuries of our existence, Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, says that: Without a doubt, the Church is catholic, that is to say that she is universal, due to the fact that she is present in all corners of the earth; because she teaches universally and without defect all the truths that have become part of human knowledge in regard to heavenly as well as earthly matters (Catechesis, XVIII, 23).
A clear sign of the catholicity of the Church is that she speaks all languages. This has been so since the day of Pentecost (cf Acts 2:1-13): it is in fact the Holy Spirit who has made it possible for the Apostles and the entire Church to announce to all people, even to the ends of the earth, the Good News of salvation and the love of God. In this way, the Church was born catholic, she was a symphony from her very beginning, she cannot be anything but catholic, she is meant to evangelize and to meet with everyone. Today, the Word of God can be read in all languages, the Gospel is available in all languages, everyone can read it. In this regard, I want to repeat: it is always good to carry with us a small copy of the gospels, in our pockets, in our purses and during the day to read a few words. It's good to do this. The gospel is available in every language because the Church, the proclamation of Jesus Christ the Redeemer, is present all over the world. This is the reason why we say that the Church is catholic, because she is universal.
If the Church was born catholic, that means that she was born going out, that she was born as a missionary. If the Apostles had stayed there in the upper room, without going out to share the gospel, the Church would only have been the Church of those people, of that city, of that upper room. But they all went out into the world, from the moment when the Church was born, from the moment when the Holy Spirit descended upon them. For this reason, the Church was born going out: missionary in her character. This is what we mean when we describe the Church as apostolic, because an apostle is one who carries the good news of the Resurrection of Jesus to others. This term reminds us that the Church is founded on the work of the Apostles and continues their mission - it is the Apostles who went and who founded new churches, who created new bishops ... and they did this in all parts of the world ... and this work still continues. Today, we are continuing the work begun by that group of Apostles who received the Holy Spirit and then went out to preach, since they were sent to preach the good news of the gospel to all peoples, accompanying their preaching with the signs of the tenderness and the power of God. This too is derived from the Pentecost event: it is in fact the Holy Spirit who helps us to overcome all resistance, who triumphs over all temptations to close in upon ourselves, considering ourselves as the elect, the only ones destined to enjoy God's favor. For example, if some Christians were to say: We are the elect, only us, eventually we would all die. First, our souls would die, then our bodies would die because we would no longer have life, we would no longer be able to generate life, to share it with other people: we would no longer be apostolic. It is the Spirit who leads us to encounter our brothers and sisters, even those who are furthest away from us in every sense of that phrase, so that we can share with them the love, the peace and the joy that the Risen Lord has left us as his gift.
What does it mean for our communities and for each of us to belong to a Church that is catholic and apostolic? First, it means that we truly believe in and care for the salvation of all of humanity; we are not indifferent or disinterested in the fates of our brothers and sisters, but we are open to them and supportive of them. It also means having a sense of fullness, of completeness, of harmony in the Christian life, always rejecting partial or unilateral positions which might enclose us within ourselves.
Being part of the apostolic Church means being aware that our faith is anchored in the proclamation and the witness of Jesus' apostles - it is anchored there, like a very long chain that reaches back to them, and yet we always feel sent, we are mandated, in communion with the successors of the apostles, to proclaim Christ with joyful hearts, and to tell the world about his love for all humanity. Here I want to recall the heroic lives of so many, many missionaries who left their own countries and went out to proclaim the gospel in other countries, on other continents. One of the Brazilian Cardinals who worked in the Amazon used to tell me that when he went to a place, to a country or to a city in the Amazon, he would always go to the cemetery to see the tombs of missionaries: priests, brothers, sisters who had gone there to preach the gospel - apostles ... and he would think: all of these could be canonized right now, they left everything behind in order to proclaim Jesus Christ. Let us give thanks to the Lord that there are so many missionaries in the Church, that there have been so many missionaries ... we need more missionaries too! Let us thank the Lord for this. Maybe among the young people, young men and women who are here, someone would like to become a missionary: do it! It's a beautiful thing: to share the gospel of Jesus. Be courageous!
Let us ask the Lord to renew within us the gift of his Spirit, so that every Christian community and every baptized person may be an expression of the holy mother Church: catholic and apostolic
Summaries of this teaching were then offered in various languages and the Holy Father offered greetings to each group of the faithful who were present at the Audience. To English-speaking visitors, he said:
I offer an affectionate greeting to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, including those from England, Scotland, South Africa, Denmark, Norway, China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Australia, Canada and the United States.
May your stay in the Eternal City deepen your love for Christ and renew the grace of Pentecost in your lives. May God bless you all!
At the conclusion of the General Audience, just prior to the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imparting of the Apostolic Blessing, the Holy Father asked for prayers for his upcoming visit to Albania:
Next Sunday, God willing, I will be in Albania. I decided to visit that country because there has been so much suffering there due to a terrible atheist regime and now it is finally enjoying a time of peaceful coexistence among its various religious confessions. I would like to affectionately greet the Albanian people and to thank them for the preparations they are making for this approaching visit. I ask you all to accompany me with your prayer, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin of Good Counsel. Thank you.
During his discourse, the Pope continued the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the Church, adding a meditation on the theme of the catholicity and the universality of the Church.
After having summarized the Pontiff's teaching in various languages, the Holy Father himself offered greetings to each of the groups of the faithful who were present. He then called for prayers to be offered for his approaching journey to Albania.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imposition of the Apostolic Benediction.
Catechesis of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning.
This week, we continue our conversation about the Church. When we profess our faith, we affirm that the Church is catholic and apostolic, but what exactly do these two words mean: these two characteristics of the Church? And what value do they add to the Christian community and to each one of us?
Catholic means universal. One complete and clear definition which is offered by one of the Fathers of the Church from the first few centuries of our existence, Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, says that: Without a doubt, the Church is catholic, that is to say that she is universal, due to the fact that she is present in all corners of the earth; because she teaches universally and without defect all the truths that have become part of human knowledge in regard to heavenly as well as earthly matters (Catechesis, XVIII, 23).
A clear sign of the catholicity of the Church is that she speaks all languages. This has been so since the day of Pentecost (cf Acts 2:1-13): it is in fact the Holy Spirit who has made it possible for the Apostles and the entire Church to announce to all people, even to the ends of the earth, the Good News of salvation and the love of God. In this way, the Church was born catholic, she was a symphony from her very beginning, she cannot be anything but catholic, she is meant to evangelize and to meet with everyone. Today, the Word of God can be read in all languages, the Gospel is available in all languages, everyone can read it. In this regard, I want to repeat: it is always good to carry with us a small copy of the gospels, in our pockets, in our purses and during the day to read a few words. It's good to do this. The gospel is available in every language because the Church, the proclamation of Jesus Christ the Redeemer, is present all over the world. This is the reason why we say that the Church is catholic, because she is universal.
If the Church was born catholic, that means that she was born going out, that she was born as a missionary. If the Apostles had stayed there in the upper room, without going out to share the gospel, the Church would only have been the Church of those people, of that city, of that upper room. But they all went out into the world, from the moment when the Church was born, from the moment when the Holy Spirit descended upon them. For this reason, the Church was born going out: missionary in her character. This is what we mean when we describe the Church as apostolic, because an apostle is one who carries the good news of the Resurrection of Jesus to others. This term reminds us that the Church is founded on the work of the Apostles and continues their mission - it is the Apostles who went and who founded new churches, who created new bishops ... and they did this in all parts of the world ... and this work still continues. Today, we are continuing the work begun by that group of Apostles who received the Holy Spirit and then went out to preach, since they were sent to preach the good news of the gospel to all peoples, accompanying their preaching with the signs of the tenderness and the power of God. This too is derived from the Pentecost event: it is in fact the Holy Spirit who helps us to overcome all resistance, who triumphs over all temptations to close in upon ourselves, considering ourselves as the elect, the only ones destined to enjoy God's favor. For example, if some Christians were to say: We are the elect, only us, eventually we would all die. First, our souls would die, then our bodies would die because we would no longer have life, we would no longer be able to generate life, to share it with other people: we would no longer be apostolic. It is the Spirit who leads us to encounter our brothers and sisters, even those who are furthest away from us in every sense of that phrase, so that we can share with them the love, the peace and the joy that the Risen Lord has left us as his gift.
What does it mean for our communities and for each of us to belong to a Church that is catholic and apostolic? First, it means that we truly believe in and care for the salvation of all of humanity; we are not indifferent or disinterested in the fates of our brothers and sisters, but we are open to them and supportive of them. It also means having a sense of fullness, of completeness, of harmony in the Christian life, always rejecting partial or unilateral positions which might enclose us within ourselves.
Being part of the apostolic Church means being aware that our faith is anchored in the proclamation and the witness of Jesus' apostles - it is anchored there, like a very long chain that reaches back to them, and yet we always feel sent, we are mandated, in communion with the successors of the apostles, to proclaim Christ with joyful hearts, and to tell the world about his love for all humanity. Here I want to recall the heroic lives of so many, many missionaries who left their own countries and went out to proclaim the gospel in other countries, on other continents. One of the Brazilian Cardinals who worked in the Amazon used to tell me that when he went to a place, to a country or to a city in the Amazon, he would always go to the cemetery to see the tombs of missionaries: priests, brothers, sisters who had gone there to preach the gospel - apostles ... and he would think: all of these could be canonized right now, they left everything behind in order to proclaim Jesus Christ. Let us give thanks to the Lord that there are so many missionaries in the Church, that there have been so many missionaries ... we need more missionaries too! Let us thank the Lord for this. Maybe among the young people, young men and women who are here, someone would like to become a missionary: do it! It's a beautiful thing: to share the gospel of Jesus. Be courageous!
Let us ask the Lord to renew within us the gift of his Spirit, so that every Christian community and every baptized person may be an expression of the holy mother Church: catholic and apostolic
Summaries of this teaching were then offered in various languages and the Holy Father offered greetings to each group of the faithful who were present at the Audience. To English-speaking visitors, he said:
I offer an affectionate greeting to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, including those from England, Scotland, South Africa, Denmark, Norway, China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Australia, Canada and the United States.
May your stay in the Eternal City deepen your love for Christ and renew the grace of Pentecost in your lives. May God bless you all!
At the conclusion of the General Audience, just prior to the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imparting of the Apostolic Blessing, the Holy Father asked for prayers for his upcoming visit to Albania:
Next Sunday, God willing, I will be in Albania. I decided to visit that country because there has been so much suffering there due to a terrible atheist regime and now it is finally enjoying a time of peaceful coexistence among its various religious confessions. I would like to affectionately greet the Albanian people and to thank them for the preparations they are making for this approaching visit. I ask you all to accompany me with your prayer, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin of Good Counsel. Thank you.
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