Pope to Rome Diocese: “Listen to the city”

By Linda Bordoni

During the evening meeting with the clergy of Rome, Pope Francis focused on two themes that concern its pastoral journey: learn the lessons of the past and be open to reconciliation.

Commenting on the fact that the parishes and other ecclesial realities of the Rome area have just concluded their assessments of the work done in the past two years and are looking ahead to the programme for the coming year, the Pope said his appeal to them is: “listen to the city”.  

He encouraged those present to “follow the Holy Spirit” who, he said, does not necessarily “love balance and straight-forwardness”, warning them against the temptation of wanting to “settle things, putting everything right”.

Looking to the future

As always, the Pope’s indications during this yearly encounter will provide the basis for future activities.

After telling the clergy that “we cannot be evangelical if we are afraid of rocking the boat”, he warned against clericalism and reminded them that the Beatitudes are a main course to be offered to the faithful in order to allow them to grow.

The Pope also made references to the encyclical “Evangelii Gaudium”, inviting those present to never abandon the path of missionary transformation that it proposes.

Pope Francis concluded his talk reminding his priests they have two main tasks:  the first is “to exercise a contemplative gaze on the life of the people who live in the city, trying in each parish to understand how people live, what they feel, what they think”.

The second, he said, is “to take a contemplative look at the new cultures that are generated in the metropolis”.