Pope Audience: The Church grows through love not detachment
(Vatican Radio) At his weekly General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis continued
his series of catechetical reflections on the Creed, focusing again this week on the
Communion of Saints. The Pope also remarked that the Church cannot grow through detachment,
but through love. Lydia O’Kane reports In his continuing
catechesis on the Creed, Pope Francis turned this attention again this week to the
“the communion of saints” which he said was a communion not only of persons, but also
of spiritual goods. Through our sharing in those goods, the Pope continued, we
grow in communion with Christ and with the Church. He then focused on what he called
“these three spiritual treasures: the sacraments, charisms and charity. In the
sacraments, the Pope explained “we encounter Christ in all his saving power, we are
confirmed in the joy of faith, and sent forth to share with others the joy of salvation.”
In off the cuff remarks in Italian, the Holy Father also underlined how important
it is to take communion, and the importance of baptizing children early because he
said “this is the presence of Jesus Christ in us, who helps us.” The Holy Father
continuing on this theme went on to stress how vital it is we go to confession. He
also added, we should not be afraid of the priest scolding us because it is Jesus
we meet in the sacrament of reconciliation and he forgives us. Focusing on the
second spiritual treasure, charisms, Pope Francis said that through the variety of
charisms, the spiritual gifts and graces bestowed by the Holy Spirit, we help to build
up the Church in unity, holiness and service. Then moving on to the third spiritual
treasure, charity, the Pope said that those who do not have this virtue, do not serve
the Church. On the subject of Charity, the Holy Father speaking in Italian, asked
the faithful in St Peter’s Square to pray as an act of goodness, for a little girl
aged one and a half who he met before the Audience. The Pope told them she was very
sick. Let us pray, he said for this beautiful little girl. In his concluding his
remarks, Pope Francis said “we are here for one another”. The Church cannot grow
if people are detached, cold and bad humoured. The Church, he added can only grow
through love. Following his catechesis, the Holy Father greeted English speaking
pilgrims who had come from as far away as the United States and Australia.