GENERAL AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS 2 DECEMBER 2015
GENERAL AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS
Wednesday,
2 December 2015
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
A few days ago I made my first Apostolic Journey to Africa.
Africa is beautiful! I thank the Lord for this great gift of his, which allowed
me to visit three countries: first Kenya, then Uganda and finally the Central
African Republic. Once again I express my gratitude to the civil authorities
and to the bishops of these nations for welcoming me, and I thank all of those
who collaborated in so many ways. My heartfelt thanks!
Kenya is a country that characterizes the global
challenge of our time: to protect creation by reshaping the model of
development to be equitable, inclusive and sustainable. All this can be seen in
Nairobi, the largest city in East Africa, where wealth and poverty coexist:
this is a scandal! Not only in Africa but here too, everywhere. The coexistence
of wealth and poverty is a scandal, it is a disgrace for humanity. Nairobi is
where the Office of the United Nations Environmental Programme, which I
visited, is located. In Kenya I met the authorities and diplomats, and also the
residents of a poor neighbourhood; I met the leaders of various Christian
confessions and of other religions, priests and consecrated people. I met young
people, so many young people! On each occasion I encouraged them to treasure
the great wealth of that country: the natural and spiritual wealth, made up of
the earth’s resources, of the younger generations and of the values that shape
the wisdom of the people. In today’s tragic context I had the joy of bringing Jesus’
word of hope: “Stand strong in faith, do not be afraid”. This was the
motto of the visit, words that are lived each day by many humble and simple
people, with noble dignity. They are words witnessed to in a tragic and heroic
way by the young people of Garissa University who were killed this past 2 April
for being Christians. Their blood is the seed of peace and fraternity for
Kenya, for Africa and for the entire world.
Then, in Uganda my visit unfolded under the auspice of
the country’s martyrs, 50 years after their historic canonization by Bl. Paul
VI. This is why the motto was: “You will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8).
The motto connotes the words that immediately precede: “You will receive power
from the Holy Spirit”, because it is the Spirit that enlivens the heart and
hands of missionary disciples. The entire visit in Uganda took place with the
fervour of witness enlivened by the Holy Spirit. Witness in the explicit sense
is the service of the catechists, whom I thanked and encouraged for their
dedication, which often also involves their families. Witness is that of
charity, which I saw firsthand at the House of Nalukolongo, and which sees so
many communities and associations committed in service to the poor, the
disabled, the sick. Witness is that of the young people who, despite the
challenges, go against the tide, safeguard the gift of hope, and seek to live
according to the Gospel and not according to the world. Witnesses are the
priests, the consecrated men and women who day by day renew their total “yes”
to Christ and dedicate themselves with joy to the service of the holy People of
God. And there is another group of witnesses, but I will speak of them later.
All of this manifold testimony, enlivened by the very same Holy Spirit, is
leaven for the entire society, as shown by the effective work performed in
Uganda in the fight against AIDS and in the welcoming of refugees.
The third leg of the journey was in the Central
African Republic, in the geographical heart of the continent: really, it’s the
heart of Africa. This visit was really the first in my intentions, because this
country is seeking to escape a very difficult period of violent conflicts and
so much suffering in the population. This is why I wanted, there in Bangui, a
week in advance, to open the first Holy Door of the Jubilee of Mercy, as a sign
of faith and hope for that people, and symbolically for all the African peoples
most in need of redemption and comfort. Jesus’ invitation to the disciples: “Let
us cross over to another shore” (cf. Lk 8:22), was the motto for Central
Africa. “Cross over to another shore”, in the civil sense, means to leave
behind war, division, poverty, and choose peace, reconciliation, development.
But this presumes a “passing” that takes place in the conscience, in the
attitudes and intentions of the people. On this level the contribution of
religious communities is crucial. For this reason I met the Evangelical and
Muslim communities, sharing prayer and the commitment for peace. With the
priests and consecrated people, but also with young people, we shared the joy
of feeling that the Risen Lord is with us in the boat, and he guides us to the
other shore. Last, in the final Mass at the stadium of Bangui, on the Feast of
the Apostle Andrew, we renewed the commitment to follow Jesus, our hope, our
peace, Face of Divine Mercy. This last Mass was marvellous: it was full of
young people, a stadium of youth! More than half the population of the Central
African Republic are minors, they are under 18 years old: a promise for moving
forward!
I would like to say a word about the missionaries: men
and women who have left their homelands, everything.... When they were young
they went there, living a life of so very much work, sometimes sleeping on the
ground. At one point in Bangui I found a nun, she was Italian. You could see
she was elderly: “How old are you?”. I asked. “81” — “Not very, two years older
than me”. — This Sister has been there since she was 23 or 24 years old: all
her life! And so many like her. She was with a little girl. And the girl, in
Italian, called her “Grandma”. And the nun said to me: “I am not really from
here, but from a neighbouring country, from Congo; I came here in a canoe, with
this little girl”. This is how the missionaries are: courageous. “What do you
do, Sister?” — “I’m a nurse and I also studied here to become an obstetrician
and I’ve delivered 3,280 babies”. This is what she told me. An entire life for
the life, for the lives of others. And there are so very many like this nun: so
many Sisters, so many priests, so many men and women religious who burn up
their lives to proclaim Jesus Christ. It is beautiful to see this. It’s
beautiful.
I would like to say a word to the young people. There
aren’t many of them, because the birth rate is a luxury, it seems, in Europe:
zero % birthrate, 1% birthrate. I am addressing the young people: think about
what you are doing with your life. Think about this nun and about the many like
her, who have given their life and so many have died there. The missionary
spirit is not proselytizing: this nun told me that the Muslim women go to them
because they know that the Sisters are good nurses who take good care of them,
and they don’t catechize in order to convert them! They bear witness; then they
do catechesis to those who want it. Witness is the great heroic missionary
spirit of the Church. Proclaim Jesus Christ with your life! I am addressing the
young: think about what you are doing with your life. It is time to think and
ask the Lord to make you feel his will. Please, do not rule out this
possibility of becoming a missionary, to bring love, humanity, faith to other
countries. Not to proselytize, no. That is done by those who are seeking
something else. Faith is preached first by witness and then through words.
Slowly.
Together let us praise the Lord for this pilgrimage on
African soil, and let ourselves be guided by his key words: “Stand strong in
faith, do not be afraid”; “You will be my witnesses”; “Let us
cross over to another shore”.
Last Sunday we began the Season of Advent. I urge
everyone to live this time of preparation for the birth of Jesus, Face of the
Merciful Father, in the extraordinary context of the Jubilee, with the spirit
of charity, more attention to those who are in need, and with moments of
personal and community prayer.
Special greetings:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors
taking part in today’s Audience, including those from England, Australia, Korea
and the United States of America. My special greeting goes to the group “Up
with People” for sharing their music with us. Upon you and your families I
invoke the Lord’s blessings of joy and peace. God bless you all.
I address a greeting to young people, to
the sick and to newlyweds. May the God of peace
stimulate you, dear young people, to be promoters of dialogue and
understanding; may he help you, dear sick people, to look to the
Cross of Christ to learn to face suffering with serenity; and may he favour in
you, dear newlyweds, the growth of peace and love in your new
family.
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