POPE

Pope Francis: Unity and closeness to Christ bring true joy

Pope Francis encourages Madagascar's priests and religious men and women residing in Rome to form a unified spiritual family, centred on the love of Christ, and the joy the Lord gives.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"Our personal and community experience of consecration to Christ is proof that life can be lived differently in the light of the Gospel, which gives true joy."

The Pope offered this reminder to the priests and men and women religious of Madagascar residing in Rome, in the Vatican on Thursday.

Earlier that same morning, Pope Francis received the bishops of Madagascar on the occasion of their ‘ad Limina Apostolorum’ visit to Rome, and the Pope greeted the President of the Bishops Conference, also present at this encounter.

The Holy Father visited Madagascar in September 2019, during his Apostolic Visit there, as well as to Mauritius and Mozambique.

Pope meets with priests and religious of Madagascar who reside in Rome

The Pope expressed his joy to have this encounter, calling it an opportunity to get to know the religious better and understand more clearly their expectations and hopes as consecrated persons in mission in Rome.

“Your presence today, while your Bishops are on an ad limina visit, is an expression of your communion of prayer with the spiritual journey they are making at the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul," he said.

The need for unity

The fruitfulness of their mission, the Pope said, depends on the unity they cultivate, among themselves and their pastors, and the witness they bring to society.

"This unity is very important," the Pope said.

Today, in our societies, and unfortunately sometimes also in the Church, the Holy Father said, we see too many people following their own self interests.

“Pursuing personal interests, this 'virus of selfishness', threatens peaceful coexistence between peoples, as between the sons and daughters of the same country.”

The joy of Christ

"Faced with this situation, your personal and community experience of consecration to Christ," the Holy Father insisted, "is proof that life can be lived differently in the light of the Gospel, which gives true joy."

“I therefore encourage you always to walk together and to make your presence here in Rome a precious opportunity to enrich and renew your faith in the footsteps of the great figures of saints and holy men and women who have preceded you here.”

Form a large spiritual family

"I urge you to form a large spiritual family," the Pope said, calling on them to respect, love and support one another, and to become signs of hope for their particular Churches and for Madagascar.

The Holy Father concluded by entrusting all those before him to the Blessed Mother.

“May she help you to faithfully preserve your identity as priests, men and women religious in the midst of the changes of this time.”

Praying that Mary intercede for them, the Holy Father invoked God's blessing upon the Church in Madagascar and the whole nation, and asked them to pray for him.

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