(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis held his weekly General Audience on Wednesday. After
thanking the pilgrims present in St Peter's Square for braving the brief, late Spring
rainstorm that surprised them, there was read a passage from the Gospel according
to St John (19:32-35), in which the episode of the soldiers' piercing of His side
is recounted. Then the Holy Father began his catechesis, which this week began a new
series of reflections on the mystery of the Church, based in the documents of the
II Vatican Council. Below, please find Vatican Radio's English translation of the
Holy Father's catechesis.
Last Wednesday I stressed the deep connection between
the Holy Spirit and the Church. Today I would like to start some reflections on the
mystery of the Church, a mystery that we all live and of which we are part. I would
like to do this, using some well-known phrases taken from the documents of the Second
Vatican Council.
Today the first: the Church as Family of God In recent
months, more than once I have made reference to the parable of the prodigal son, or
rather of the merciful father (cf. Lk 15:11-32). The youngest son leaves the house
of his father, squanders everything, and decides to return because he realizes he
made a mistake, though he no longer considers himself worthy of sonship. He thinks
he might be welcomed back as a servant. Instead, the father runs to meet him, embraces
him, gives him back his dignity as a son, and celebrates. This parable, like others
in the Gospel, shows well the design of God for humanity.
What is this God’s
plan? It is to make us all the one family of his children, in which each of you feels
close to Him and feels loved by Him – feels, as in the Gospel parable, the warmth
of being the family of God. In this great design, the Church finds its source. [The
Church is] is not an organization founded by an agreement among [a group of] persons,
but - as we were reminded many times by Pope Benedict XVI - is the work of God: it
was born out of the plan of love, which realises itself progressively in history.
The Church is born from the desire of God to call all people into communion with Him,
to His friendship, and indeed, as His children, to partake of His own divine life.
The very word “Church”, from the Greek ekklesia, means “convocation”.
God
calls us, urges us to escape from individualism, [from] the tendency to withdraw into
ourselves, and calls us – convokes us – to be a part of His family. This convocation
has its origin in creation itself. God created us in order that we might live in a
relationship of deep friendship with Him, and even when sin had broken this relationship
with God, with others and with creation, God did not abandon us.
The whole
history of salvation is the story of God seeking man, offer[ing] humanity His love,
embracing mankind. He called Abraham to be the father of a multitude, chose the people
of Israel to forge an alliance that embraces all nations, and sent, in the fullness
of time, His Son, that His plan of love and salvation be realised in a new and everlasting
covenant with humanity. When we read the Gospels, we see that Jesus gathers around
him a small community that receives His word, follows Him, shares His journey, becomes
His family – and with this community, He prepares and builds His Church.
Whence,
then, is the Church born? It is born from the supreme act of love on the Cross, from
the pierced side of Jesus from which flow blood and water, a symbol of the sacraments
of Baptism and the Eucharist. In the family of God, the Church, the lifeblood is the
love of God that is realised in loving Him and others, loving all without distinction,
without measure. The Church is a family that loves and is loved.
When does
the Church manifest itself? We celebrated [the Church’s manifestation] two Sundays
ago: the Church manifests itself when the gift of the Holy Spirit fills the hearts
of the Apostles and pushes them to go out and start the journey to proclaim the Gospel,
to spread the love of God.
Even today, some say, “Christ yes, the Church no,”
like those who say, “I believe in God, but in priests, no.” They say, “Christ: yes.
Church: no.” Nevertheless, it is the Church that brings us Christ and that brings
us to God. The Church is the great family of God's children. Of course it also has
the human aspects: in those who compose it, pastors and faithful, there are flaws,
imperfections, sins – the Pope has his, as well: he has lots of them; but the beautiful
thing is that, when we become aware that we are sinners, we find the mercy of God.
God always forgives: do not forget this. God always forgives, and He receives us in
His love of forgiveness and mercy. Some people say – this is beautiful – that sin
is an offence against God, but it is also an opportunity: the humiliation of realising
[that one is a sinner] and that there is something [exceedingly] beautiful: the mercy
of God. Let us think about this.
Let us ask ourselves today: how much do I
love the Church? Do I pray for her? Do I feel myself a part of the family of the Church?
What do I do to make the Church a community in which everyone feels welcomed and understood,
[in which] everyone feels the mercy and love of God who renews life? Faith is a gift
and an act that affects us personally, but God calls us to live our faith together,
as a family: as the Church.
We ask the Lord, in a special way in this Year
of the faith, that our communities, the whole Church be ever more true families that
live and carry the warmth of God.
The Holy Father also had greetings for
English-speaking pilgrims, which he delivered through an interpreter:
Dear
Brothers and Sisters: In today’s Audience I would like to speak of the Church as God’s
family. Like the merciful father in the parable of the prodigal son, God wants all
of us to live in his love and to share in his life. The Church is an essential part
of this divine plan; we were made to know and love God and, despite our sins, he continues
to call us to return to him. In the fullness of time, he sent his Son into our world
to inaugurate the new and eternal covenant with humanity through his sacrifice on
the cross. The Church was born of this supreme act of reconciling love, in the water
and blood which flowed from Christ’s pierced side. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit sent
the Apostles to proclaim the Gospel of God’s love to the ends of the earth. Christ
can never be separated from his Church, which he has made the great family of God’s
children. Today, let [us] pledge ourselves to renewing our love for the Church and
to letting her be God’s true family, where everyone feels welcomed, understood and
loved.