Pope tells Peru’s bishops to evangelize in people’s languages

Taking Saint Turibus of Mogrovejo as an example, Pope Francis urged Peru’s bishops to evangelize people in their own languages, saying they are to work for unity and communion.

Pope Francis spoke to the bishops of Peru on the last day of his Apostolic Journey to the country.

He reflected on his visit, saying it had been “very intense and gratifying”.

The Pope said the visit’s theme had been on “unity and hope”.

“This is a demanding yet exciting programme,” he said, “which makes us think us of the heroic accomplishments of Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo, archbishop of this see and patron of the Latin American episcopate, an example of a ‘builder of ecclesial unity’, as my predecessor, Saint John Paul II described him during his first Apostolic Visit to this land.”

Evangelize in native tongue

Pope Francis said St. Turibus led the third Council of Lima, which had the Catechism translated into the local languages.

The Holy Father held this out as an example of how to evangelize the people of Peru.

He said speaking in someone’s native tongue allows Jesus’ teaching to enter deeply into their heart. Even today, bishops and evangelizers are called to learn a new language, he said, which for young people means a digital language.

“To know the real language of our young people, our families, our children, as Saint Turibius clearly realized, it is not enough just to be present and occupy space; we have to be able to generate processes in people’s lives, so that the faith can take root and be meaningful.”