Pope Benedict XVI on St Francis de Sales

Pope Benedict XVI held his weekly General Audience Wednesday in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican.

Pope Benedict XVI’s catechesis this Wednesday concentrated on the life and legacy of Saint Francis de Sales, whom he described as an outstanding Bishop and master of the spiritual life in the period following the Council of Trent.

After a powerful experience of God’s liberating love in his youth, Saint Francis became a priest and then Bishop of Geneva, at that time a stronghold of Calvinism. His fine education, his personal gifts of charity, serenity and openness to dialogue, together with his brilliance as a spiritual guide, made Francis a leading figure of his age.

St. Francis de Sales’ spiritual writings include the celebrated Introduction to the Devout Life, which insists that all Christians are called to perfection in their proper state of life, foreshadowing the insistence of the Second Vatican Council on the universal call to holiness.

His Treatise on the Love of God develops this teaching, stressing that we find ourselves and our true freedom in the love of God.

The Christian humanism of Saint Francis de Sales has lost none of its relevance today. May this great Saint and Doctor of the Church guide us in the pursuit of holiness and help us to find our fulfilment in the joy and freedom born of the love of God.

Following the catechesis, Pope Benedict greeted the faithful in many languages, including English…

I am happy to greet the pilgrims from Saint Mary’s University College, Twickenham; I vividly recall their warm welcome during my recent Apostolic Visit to England. I also greet the group from Saint Norbert’s Catholic School in Denmark. To the choirs I express my gratitude for their praise of God in song. Upon all the English-speaking visitors present at today’s Audience, especially those from Ireland, Finland, Singapore and the United States, I cordially invoke God’s abundant blessings

Listen to Linda Bordoni's report: