VATICAN Pope, new cycle of catechesis on the Holy Spirit

In the Wednesday audience a new reflection began on the action of the Holy Spirit in the history of salvation: “The Spirit is harmony,” Francis explained. He spoke about the “havoc” that humanity wreaks on Creation and proposed following the “path of contemplation”, like Francis of Assisi. He remembered the victims of the avalanche that occurred in Papua New Guinea. On Ukraine, Palestine and Myanmar: “War is cruelty.”

Vatican City () – Pope Francis is close to the people affected by the devastating avalanche that occurred between May 23 and 24 in Papua New Guinea, in the province of Enga, and buried more than two thousand people according to UN estimates. He invited everyone to turn their thoughts to them at the end of Wednesday’s general audience, which took place today in St. Peter’s Square. “I want to assure my prayers for the victims – he said -. May the Lord console the relatives, those who have lost their homes and the Papuan people.” In September the pontiff will visit this Oceanian country during his trip to Southeast Asia.

Also referring as always to countries at war (“My thoughts turn to the martyred Ukraine”), Pope Francis recalled the meeting that took place in Rome last weekend, on the occasion of the first World Children’s Day, with boys and girls who suffer the consequences of violence. “The other day I received boys and girls who suffered burns or lost their legs in the war. “War is always cruel,” he stated. He said that the little ones who are starting to walk and move again, even with the help of prostheses, “have lost their smile.” “And let’s not forget Palestine and Israel. They suffer a lot. Let the war end,” he added. He also directed a thought to Myanmar. “Let us pray that the Lord is close to everyone and gives us the grace of peace.”

The Holy Father remembered Don Giuseppe Rossi, priest and martyr, beatified on Sunday in Novara. “Parish priest zealous for charity. He did not abandon the flock during the tragic time of World War II, but defended it until his blood was shed. May his heroic testimony help us face the trials of life with strength,” he proposed. Which was followed by applause. He then shared a comment with the faithful gathered in Saint Peter’s Square on the occasion of the solemnity of Saint Paul VI, which is celebrated today. “May this anniversary help everyone rediscover the joy of being Christians, sparking a renewed commitment to building the civilization of love. And please, if you have time, read the letter Evangelii Nuntiandi of Paul VI, which is still very current”.

At the opening of the audience, Pope Francis – who last week concluded the cycle dedicated to “The vices and the virtues” – began a new catechesis on: “The Spirit and the Bride. The Holy Spirit guides the people of God to encounter with Jesus, our hope”. His reflection focused on the theme The spirit of God hovered over the waters (reference reading Gen 1, 1-2). It is the beginning of a path that will continue “traversing the three great stages of the history of salvation: the Old Testament, the New Testament and the time of the Church,” he explained. The first reflections, which will be shared in the coming weeks during the general audiences on Wednesday, will focus on the discovery “that what is presented as a promise in the Old Testament has been fully realized in Christ.” Today’s reflection begins with the first verses of Genesis: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The earth was formless and void, darkness covered the deep, and the breath of God fluttered over the waters.” (Genesis 1:1-2).

“The Spirit of God appears to us as the mysterious power that makes the world go from its initial formless, deserted and gloomy state to its orderly and harmonious state,” explained the Holy Father. That is, the Spirit allows the transformation of chaos into harmony. “This still vague indication of the Spirit’s action in creation becomes more concrete throughout revelation,” as demonstrated on several occasions in the New Testament. But the apostle Paul introduces a new element of the relationship between the Spirit and Creation. “He speaks of a universe that “groans and suffers as in labor pains” (see Rom 8:22),” he explained. This is a current reality, “which concerns us closely and dramatically.” The cause of the suffering of Creation is “the corruption and sin of humanity, which has dragged it away from God.” “We see the havoc that humanity has caused and continues to cause in creation, especially by those who have the greatest capacity to exploit natural resources,” Bergoglio added. Francis of Assisi offers a way out of this “massacre” with his Canticle of Creatures: “the path of contemplation and praise.” It is about “putting the joy of contemplation before the joy of possession,” said Pope Francis. “The Spirit is harmony.”

He then continued explaining the meaning of chaos, which can be external or internal, and one is a mirror of the other. The first is “a social chaos, a political chaos: let’s think about the wars, let’s think about the many children who have nothing to eat, about the many social injustices.” It is impossible to transform this into harmony, according to the Pontiff, “if we do not begin to heal the second.” “Let us do a good job so that our inner confusion is transformed into a clarity of the Holy Spirit: it is the power of God that does it. We open our hearts to Him so He can do it,” he added. And he concluded by proposing: “Let us ask the Holy Spirit to come to us and make us new people, with the newness of the Spirit.”