This morning's General Audience began at 9:10am local time 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 added his meditation on his Apostolic Voyage in Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius, which was concluded last evening (Biblical passage: Mt 13:31-33).
After summarizing His catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered particular greetings to each group 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 evening, I returned from my Apostolic voyage to Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius. I thank God for allowing me to accomplish this itinerary as a pilgrim of peace and hope, and I renew the expression of my gratitude to the respective Authorities from those States, as well as the Bishops who invited me and welcome me with such affection and care, and the Apostolic Nuncios who worked so diligently for this trip.
Christ is the world's hope, and his gospel is the leaven of fraternity, freedom, justice and peace for all peoples. With my visit, in the footsteps of holy evangelizers, I tried to bring this leaven, the leaven of Jesus, to the Mozambican, Malagasy and Mauritian people.
In Mozambique, I went to scatter seeds of hope, peace and reconciliation in a land that has suffered so much in the recent past due to prolonged armed conflict, and that was hit last spring by two cyclones which caused very serious damage. The Church continues to accompany the peace process, which has taken a step forward even on 1 August with a new agreement between the parties. And here I would like to pause to thank the Community of Sant Egidio who has worked so hard as part of this peace process.
In this sense I encouraged the Authorities of the country, urging them to work together for the common good. And I encouraged the young people, who gathered from different religious backgrounds, to build the country, overcoming resignation and anxiety, spreading social friendship and treasuring the traditions of the elderly. To the bishops, priests and consecrated persons, whom I met in the Cathedral of Maputo, named after the Immaculate Virgin, I proposed the path of Nazareth, the path of the generous yes to God, in the grateful memory of his call and of his origins . A strong sign of this evangelical presence is the Zimpeto Hospital, on the outskirts of the capital, built with the commitment of the Community of Sant'Egidio. In this hospital I saw that the most important thing is the sick, and everyone works for the sick. Furthermore, not everyone has the same religious affiliation. The director of that hospital is a woman, a researcher, a good woman, a researcher on AIDS. She is Muslim, but she is the director and this hospital is a hospital made possible by the Community of Sant'Egidio. But all, all together for the people, united, like brothers. My visit to Mozambique culminated in Mass, celebrated in the stadium in the rain, but we were all happy. The songs, the religious dances ... so much happiness. The rain didn't matter. And there, the appeal of the Lord Jesus resounded: Love your enemies (Lk 6:27), the seed of true revolution, that of love, which extinguishes violence and creates fraternity.
From Maputo I moved to Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. A country rich in natural beauty and resources, but marked by so much poverty. I hoped that, inspired by its traditional spirit of solidarity, the Malagasy people could overcome adversity and build a future of development by combining respect for the environment and social justice. As a prophetic sign in this direction, I visited the City of Friendship - Akamasoa, founded by a Lazarist missionary, Father Pedro Opeka: there we try to combine work, dignity, care for the poor and education for children ... all animated by the Gospel. In Akamasoa, near the granite quarry, I raised the Prayer for the workers to God.
Then I had a meeting with contemplative nuns of different congregations, in the Carmelite monastery: in fact, without faith and prayer, a city worthy of man cannot be built. With the Bishops of the country we renewed our commitment to be sowers of peace and hope, taking care of the people of God, especially the poor, and our priests. Together we venerated the Blessed Victoire Rasoamanarivo, first Malagasy raised to the altars. With the many young people - many young people in that vigil, but many, many -, I experienced a vigil full of testimonies, songs and dances.
In Antananarivo, we celebrated Sunday Mass in the great Diocesan field: large crowds gathered around the Lord Jesus. And finally, in the Saint-Michel Institute, I met the priests, consecrated women and consecrated men and women seminarians from Madagascar. It was an encounter in the sign of praise to God.
Monday was dedicated to visiting the Republic of Mauritius, known as a tourist destination, but I chose it as a place of integration between different ethnic groups and cultures. In fact, over the last two centuries, different populations have landed in that archipelago, especially from India; and after independence it experienced a strong economic and social development. There is strong inter-religious dialogue, and also friendship between the leaders of different religious denominations. It is something that would seem strange to us, but they experience friendship that is natural. When I entered the bishop's residence, I found a beautiful bouquet of flowers, beautiful: it was sent by the Great Imam as a sign of brotherhood.
Holy Mass in Mauritius was celebrated at the Monument of Mary, Queen of Peace, in memory of Blessed Jacques-Désiré Laval, known as the apostle of Mauritian unity. In that context, the Gospel of the Beatitudes, the identity card of the disciples of Christ, is an antidote against the temptation toward selfish and discriminatory well-being. The Gospel and the Beatitudes are the antidote to selfish and discriminatory well-being, and it is also the leaven of true happiness, imbued with mercy, justice and peace. I was struck by the work that the Bishops are doing for the evangelization of the poor. Later, in the meeting with the Authorities of Mauritius, I expressed my appreciation for the commitment to harmonize the differences in a common project, and I encouraged them to continue in their capacity for acceptance, as well as their efforts to maintain and develop democratic life.
So, I arrived at the Vatican yesterday, in the evening hours. Before starting a journey and when I return, I always go to the Madonna, the Salus Populi Romani, so that she may accompany me on the journey, as a Mother, to tell me what to do, to guard my words and my gestures. With the Madonna, I go safely.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us give thanks to God and let us ask Him to bless the seeds that were sown during this apostolic journey, so that they will bear abundant fruit for the peoples of Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius. Thank you!
The Holy Father's remarks were then summarized in various languages, and His Holiness offered greetings to each group of pilgrims in attendance. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially those from England, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Malta, Norway, Sweden, Zimbabwe, India, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and the United States of America. Upon you and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of the Lord. May God bless you!
In his speech, the Pope added his meditation on his Apostolic Voyage in Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius, which was concluded last evening (Biblical passage: Mt 13:31-33).
After summarizing His catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered particular greetings to each group 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 evening, I returned from my Apostolic voyage to Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius. I thank God for allowing me to accomplish this itinerary as a pilgrim of peace and hope, and I renew the expression of my gratitude to the respective Authorities from those States, as well as the Bishops who invited me and welcome me with such affection and care, and the Apostolic Nuncios who worked so diligently for this trip.
Christ is the world's hope, and his gospel is the leaven of fraternity, freedom, justice and peace for all peoples. With my visit, in the footsteps of holy evangelizers, I tried to bring this leaven, the leaven of Jesus, to the Mozambican, Malagasy and Mauritian people.
In Mozambique, I went to scatter seeds of hope, peace and reconciliation in a land that has suffered so much in the recent past due to prolonged armed conflict, and that was hit last spring by two cyclones which caused very serious damage. The Church continues to accompany the peace process, which has taken a step forward even on 1 August with a new agreement between the parties. And here I would like to pause to thank the Community of Sant Egidio who has worked so hard as part of this peace process.
In this sense I encouraged the Authorities of the country, urging them to work together for the common good. And I encouraged the young people, who gathered from different religious backgrounds, to build the country, overcoming resignation and anxiety, spreading social friendship and treasuring the traditions of the elderly. To the bishops, priests and consecrated persons, whom I met in the Cathedral of Maputo, named after the Immaculate Virgin, I proposed the path of Nazareth, the path of the generous yes to God, in the grateful memory of his call and of his origins . A strong sign of this evangelical presence is the Zimpeto Hospital, on the outskirts of the capital, built with the commitment of the Community of Sant'Egidio. In this hospital I saw that the most important thing is the sick, and everyone works for the sick. Furthermore, not everyone has the same religious affiliation. The director of that hospital is a woman, a researcher, a good woman, a researcher on AIDS. She is Muslim, but she is the director and this hospital is a hospital made possible by the Community of Sant'Egidio. But all, all together for the people, united, like brothers. My visit to Mozambique culminated in Mass, celebrated in the stadium in the rain, but we were all happy. The songs, the religious dances ... so much happiness. The rain didn't matter. And there, the appeal of the Lord Jesus resounded: Love your enemies (Lk 6:27), the seed of true revolution, that of love, which extinguishes violence and creates fraternity.
From Maputo I moved to Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. A country rich in natural beauty and resources, but marked by so much poverty. I hoped that, inspired by its traditional spirit of solidarity, the Malagasy people could overcome adversity and build a future of development by combining respect for the environment and social justice. As a prophetic sign in this direction, I visited the City of Friendship - Akamasoa, founded by a Lazarist missionary, Father Pedro Opeka: there we try to combine work, dignity, care for the poor and education for children ... all animated by the Gospel. In Akamasoa, near the granite quarry, I raised the Prayer for the workers to God.
Then I had a meeting with contemplative nuns of different congregations, in the Carmelite monastery: in fact, without faith and prayer, a city worthy of man cannot be built. With the Bishops of the country we renewed our commitment to be sowers of peace and hope, taking care of the people of God, especially the poor, and our priests. Together we venerated the Blessed Victoire Rasoamanarivo, first Malagasy raised to the altars. With the many young people - many young people in that vigil, but many, many -, I experienced a vigil full of testimonies, songs and dances.
In Antananarivo, we celebrated Sunday Mass in the great Diocesan field: large crowds gathered around the Lord Jesus. And finally, in the Saint-Michel Institute, I met the priests, consecrated women and consecrated men and women seminarians from Madagascar. It was an encounter in the sign of praise to God.
Monday was dedicated to visiting the Republic of Mauritius, known as a tourist destination, but I chose it as a place of integration between different ethnic groups and cultures. In fact, over the last two centuries, different populations have landed in that archipelago, especially from India; and after independence it experienced a strong economic and social development. There is strong inter-religious dialogue, and also friendship between the leaders of different religious denominations. It is something that would seem strange to us, but they experience friendship that is natural. When I entered the bishop's residence, I found a beautiful bouquet of flowers, beautiful: it was sent by the Great Imam as a sign of brotherhood.
Holy Mass in Mauritius was celebrated at the Monument of Mary, Queen of Peace, in memory of Blessed Jacques-Désiré Laval, known as the apostle of Mauritian unity. In that context, the Gospel of the Beatitudes, the identity card of the disciples of Christ, is an antidote against the temptation toward selfish and discriminatory well-being. The Gospel and the Beatitudes are the antidote to selfish and discriminatory well-being, and it is also the leaven of true happiness, imbued with mercy, justice and peace. I was struck by the work that the Bishops are doing for the evangelization of the poor. Later, in the meeting with the Authorities of Mauritius, I expressed my appreciation for the commitment to harmonize the differences in a common project, and I encouraged them to continue in their capacity for acceptance, as well as their efforts to maintain and develop democratic life.
So, I arrived at the Vatican yesterday, in the evening hours. Before starting a journey and when I return, I always go to the Madonna, the Salus Populi Romani, so that she may accompany me on the journey, as a Mother, to tell me what to do, to guard my words and my gestures. With the Madonna, I go safely.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us give thanks to God and let us ask Him to bless the seeds that were sown during this apostolic journey, so that they will bear abundant fruit for the peoples of Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius. Thank you!
The Holy Father's remarks were then summarized in various languages, and His Holiness offered greetings to each group of pilgrims in attendance. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially those from England, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Malta, Norway, Sweden, Zimbabwe, India, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and the United States of America. Upon you and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of the Lord. May God bless you!
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