Starting next week, every Wednesday in St. Peter’s Square there will also be a summary of the catechism in the language with the largest number of speakers in the world. The announcement – which the pontiff made today personally – is part of the new climate of relations between the Vatican and China. Evoking the very harsh winter in Ukraine, Francis once again repeated to the faithful: “Makers of peace, not of war.” In the catechesis on the “fruits of the Spirit”: “The Gospel cannot be announced with long faces.”
Vatican City () – “Next week, with Advent, the translation into Chinese will also begin here in the audience,” the Pope said today from St. Peter’s Square. In the general audience this morning he announced a new gesture of attention towards the Chinese Catholic communities, which is part of the climate of collaboration between the Holy See and Beijing reinforced by the Provisional Agreement on the appointment of bishops renewed last month by another four years. Until now, translations of the hearings were only offered in French, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Polish. “A promise and a hope for the Church,” Pope Francis had said regarding China in the meeting with journalists during the return flight from his trip to Asia and Oceania in early September. On that occasion he said that he was “happy” because talks between the two parties had restarted, after the 2023 crisis. And two bishops from mainland China were also able to participate in the Synod that was held in Rome a few weeks ago.
“I urge you all to live this season of Advent, a strong time, with vigilant prayer and ardent hope,” the Pope said in his final greeting to the Italian-speaking pilgrims and faithful. And in view of the approaching winter, he dedicated a thought to those who will suffer the most. “Let us not forget the tormented Ukrainian people, who are suffering greatly,” he said. Sitting at the foot of Francis’ chair were a hundred children who escorted the Popemobile at the beginning of the audience: “a little noise is needed,” commented Bergoglio, looking towards them, before reading the Bible passage about which Then he made a reflection.
“And you, think about the Ukrainian children and young people, who are suffering at this time, without heating, with a very harsh, very strong winter,” he said, addressing them. “Pray for Ukrainian children and young people. Will they do it? Will everyone pray? Don’t forget it.” In his greeting to the pilgrims from Poland – a country that has received numerous displaced people from Ukraine – the Pope asked them: “Be charitable and peace workers, supporting those who are in trouble and suffering because of wars, especially those Ukrainians, to face the winter. It will be a very terrible winter for Ukraine.” “Everyone, without distinction, can and should be charitable, patient, humble and operators of peace.” And he insisted: “Operators of peace, not wars.”
The word “peace” was uttered eleven times during today’s hearing. “And let us also pray for peace in the Holy Land; Nazareth, Palestine, Israel… let there be peace, let there be peace. People suffer too much. Let us pray for peace all together,” said Pope Francis. And peace, along with joy, was also a central theme of the catechesis that was read at the beginning of the audience, dedicated to the “fruits of the Holy Spirit”, which is part of the cycle of meditations on the relationship between the Spirit and the Church. The biblical passage (Phil 4:4-7) that was taken as a reference says: “Always rejoice in the Lord. I insist again, rejoice. May your goodness be known to all men.” Joy – along with peace, love, magnanimity, affability, benevolence, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control (see Gal 5, 22) – is one of those fruits that “are the result of a collaboration between grace and our freedom”, and always express “the creativity of the person”, explained the pontiff.
“Joy, the fruit of the Spirit, has in common with any other human joy a certain feeling of fullness and satisfaction, which makes us wish it would last forever,” Bergoglio added. But that does not happen because “down here everything happens quickly”, and that is why we become disappointed or quickly lose enthusiasm. But “evangelical” joy, unlike the others, can be renewed every day and become contagious: “This is the double characteristic of the joy that is the fruit of the Spirit: not only is it not subject to the inevitable wear and tear of time, but that multiplies by sharing it with others!” That is why the Gospel cannot be announced with “long and somber faces”, but with the joy of someone who has found “the hidden treasure.”
An example of a life lived in overflowing joy is the “saint of joy”, Felipe Neri (1515-1595), priest of the last and great educator in Rome at that time. “To the poor and abandoned children in his Oratory he said: ‘Children, be happy; I don’t want scruples or melancholy; It is enough for me that they do not sin,’” the Pope said. Everyone knew his joy, but the origin of it was less known: a love for God so great “that sometimes it seemed that his heart was going to burst in his chest.” A true fruit of the Holy Spirit. Neri participated in the Jubilee of 1575 and enriched it with the practice of visiting the Seven Churches in Rome. And Saint Philip Neri “always forgave.” “God forgives everything, God always forgives. And this is the joy: being forgiven by God. To priests and confessors – Francis concluded – I always say: forgive everything, don’t ask too much, but forgive everything, everything and always.”
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