"Let us not tire of praying for peace," says Arab Christian in Nazareth.Francis launches more prayer and fasting for peace, looks to Charles de FoucauldThe appeal to peace, to seek processes of peace, and to prayer and penance for peace, was a constant in the catechesis of the Holy Father Francis this Wednesday morning at the General Audience in St. Peter's Square.
As part of the series "Passion for Evangelization: the apostolic zeal of the believer", the Pope's meditation, based on the Acts of the Apostles, focused on "Saints Cyril and Methodius, apostles of the Slavs", recalling that "my predecessor St. John Paul II proclaimed them as the "Apostles of the Slavs". co-patrons of Europe".
In his address to the Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Arabic-speaking pilgrims, the Holy Father made special appeals and petitions for peace. In Italian, he confessed at the end of the audience that "I always think of the grave situation in which we live. Palestinein IsraelI continue to pray for the release of the hostages and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. I continue to pray for those who are suffering.
He went on to say that "it is necessary to encourage the peace processes in the Middle East, in the tormented Ukraine and in so many war-torn regions", and recalled that "the day after tomorrow, on Friday, October 27, we will live through a day of fasting, prayer and penance At 6 p.m. at St. Peter's, we will gather to invoke peace in the world".
Urgency of peace
As reported at the beginning, the Pope prayed to the Lord "through the intercession of Saints Cyril and Methodius, to grant us to be instruments of unity and peace"The aim is to contribute to "overcoming the hatred and oppositions" that divide the human family.
In a similar vein, the Pope encouraged the Portuguese-speaking faithful "at this moment, let us not allow the clouds of conflict to obscure the sun of hope. On the contrary, let us entrust to Our Lady the urgency of peace so that all cultures may open themselves to the Holy Spirit's breath of harmony".
And to those of Arabic language: "Jesus is the true light. Whoever walks with him will not stumble. Was it not he who said to us: "I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (Jn 8:12).
Messages on the Solemnity of All Saints' Day
During the Audience, the Pope also made suggestions regarding the Solemnity of All Saints, which takes place next week. For example, to the French-speaking pilgrims he said: "Next week is the Solemnity of All Saints. Let us prepare for this beautiful feast by asking the saints of our families to sustain us on the sometimes arduous journey of fidelity to the Gospel, and to guard our hearts in the hope of sharing their joy with the Lord and with all those we have loved and known."
To the German-speaking people, he pointed out: "Next week we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints. Here in Rome you can discover many places that invite us to meet the Saints. Let us entrust all our intentions to their intercession".
As usual, the Pope also greeted pilgrims of other languages. For example, to the English-speaking pilgrims, "especially to the groups from England, Ireland, Albania, Denmark, Norway, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Canada and the United States of America; in particular to the Patrons of the Vatican Museums, the State of Louisiana, members of the Association of State Catholic Conference Directors and a group of military chaplains. Upon you and your families I invoke the joy and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ".
Inculturating the faith
In his reflection on Saints Cyril and Methodius at the beginning of the Audience, the Pontiff called them "missionaries with a passion for evangelization" and highlighted "three important aspects of the witness of these saints: unity, inculturation and freedom".
"Cyril and Methodius always evangelized united to Christ and to the Church. Also today it is urgent that we be united to proclaim the Gospel," the Pope summarized.
Moreover, these two monks "became so deeply immersed in that culture - so inculturated - that they even created their own alphabet, which made possible the translation of the Bible and liturgical texts into Slavic languages, thus favoring the spread of the Good News in those lands".
"Christ does not build walls."
"Evangelization and culture are closely connected. Inculturation is very important," the Holy Father added. "The true mission is the enemy of all closure, of all nationalism. It is "gentle": it identifies with the people it proclaims, without pretensions of superiority. Christ does not mortify, does not seal, does not build walls, but stimulates the most beautiful energies of peoples".
Finally, "I would like to emphasize that, in spite of criticism and obstacles, Cyril and Methodius were characterized by evangelical freedom, which impelled them to follow the inspirations of the Holy Spirit and to be open to the future that God was indicating to them".
Pope Francis concluded the catechesis with the following request: "I exhort everyone to pray the Holy Rosary daily, learning from the Virgin Mary to live every event in union with Jesus".
