The Holy Spirit and healingWhat does meditation consist of? The Pope explains it in the audienceAntonia, mother of Carlo Acutis: "My son is a sign of hope for young people".As a continuation of his catechesis in the Audience this morning, in which he stated that "the laity are not a kind of external collaborators or auxiliary troops of the clergy, but have their own charisms and gifts with which to contribute to the mission of the Church," Pope Francis announced this morning the canonization of the Blessed Carlo AcutisThe young Italian who died at the age of 15 from fulminant leukemia and was characterized by a great love for the Eucharist.
In addition, the Pope has also indicated the canonization of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. Blessed Charles Acutis will be canonized during the Jubilee of Adolescents from April 25 to 27 in 2025, while Pier Giorgio Frassati will be raised to the altars during the Jubilee of Youth, which will take place from June 28 to August 3 next year.
The Holy Spirit speaks through the charisms
The Pope's decision fits in with the theme of the Audience of Wednesday, November 20, in which Pope Francis' catechesis focused on the theme 'The Gifts of the Bride. Charisms, gifts of the Spirit for the common good', based on the first Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 12:4- 7.11).
The Roman Pontiff began by pointing out that "in the last three catecheses we have spoken of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, which is accomplished in the sacraments, in prayer and by following the example of the Mother of God".
But today, he proposed listening to "what a famous text of the Second Vatican Council says: 'Moreover, the Holy Spirit himself not only sanctifies and directs the People of God through the sacraments and mysteries and adorns it with virtues, but also distributes special graces among the faithful of every condition, distributing his gifts to each one as he wills' (Lumen Gentium, 12)". He then referred to "this second way in which the Holy Spirit works in the Church, which is charismatic action".
To value the role of the laity in the Church.
"First, the charism is a gift given for the common good, for the good of the Church, rather than for one's own sanctification; and second, the charism is a gift given "to one", or "to some" in particular, not to all in the same way, and this is what distinguishes it from sanctifying grace, the theological virtues and the sacraments, which are identical and common to all," the Holy Father said.
The Pope then added that "understanding the richness of the charisms helps us to appreciate the role of the laity in the Church, since the laity possess charisms and gifts of their own with which they contribute in a special way to her mission in the world. These are not spectacular abilities, but ordinary gifts that acquire an extraordinary value because they are inspired by the Holy Spirit".
In this regard, the Roman Pontiff stressed in his catechesis that "Benedict XVI said: "Looking at the history of the post-conciliar era, one can recognize the dynamics of true renewal, which has often taken on unexpected forms in lively moments and which makes almost tangible the inexhaustible vivacity of the Church, the presence and effective action of the Holy Spirit".
Charisms at the service of the Church
In his greeting to the pilgrims in various languages, the Successor of Peter encouraged: "Let us ask the Holy Spirit to grant us to grow in the virtue of charity, so that we may discover and put our charisms at the service of the Church and be grateful for the charisms of others, recognizing that they contribute to the good of all. May the Lord bless you and may the Holy Virgin watch over you".
"We have to rediscover the charisms, because this makes the promotion of the laity and of women in particular to be understood not only as an institutional and sociological fact, but in its biblical and spiritual dimension," Francis pointed out.
Finally, after recalling that the laity "have their own charisms and gifts with which to contribute to the mission of the Church", he stressed that "when speaking of charisms, we must immediately dispel a misunderstanding: that of identifying them with spectacular and extraordinary gifts and abilities; instead, they are ordinary gifts, each one has his own charism, which acquire an extraordinary value when they are inspired by the Holy Spirit and incarnated in life situations with love".
The Pope concluded by affirming that "charity multiplies charisms, it makes the charism of one, of a single person, the charism of all".
Ukraine: let dialogue replace arms
The Pope also announced a World Meeting for the Rights of Children on February 3 in Rome (he was photographed with dozens of them in St. Peter's Square), and recalled with immense regret the thousand days of the war in Ukraine, asking that "dialogue replace arms". In this context, he read a few paragraphs from a letter addressed to him by a Ukrainian university student.
The Roman Pontiff also recalled the Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe next Sunday, and the Feast of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary tomorrow, on which the Day pro Orantibus is celebrated.
