Francis calls on the associations of the Italian faithful, who formed the Confederation about 25 years ago, not to withdraw into themselves, but to renew themselves in communion with the Church and to present the spiritual, economic, artistic and historical heritage to invest: Your ancient liturgy and devotional practices are animated by an intense spiritual life and by the concrete commitment of charity
Tiziana Campisi – Vatican City
A “leaven” in the Italian ecclesial and social fabric that must be kept alive so that it can ferment communion: this is how Francis defines the Confederation of Fraternities of the Dioceses of Italy, which he received this morning in audience in the Consistory of the Apostolic Palace. A reality born in 2000 “in the framework of the great Jubilee”, the Pope recalls in his speech that for more than twenty years he has “recognized the very rich and varied presence of the Fraternities” in the Italian Church, and in which Context a new jubilee that from 2025, will celebrate its 25th anniversary. (Hear the service with the Pope’s voice)
The reality of the brotherhoods in Italy
A capillary reality, that of the brotherhoods, in the peninsula: there are about 3,200 people registered in the confederation, which has a total of 2 million members, to which we must add family and friends who join the various activities. But there are also over three thousand unregistered brotherhoods. Their work recalls “what the Second Vatican Council says about the nature and mission of the laity in the Church”, the Pope affirms, namely “to be called by God to contribute like leaven from within towards the sanctification of the world”. . This is done in popular piety, “a powerful proclaiming force that has much to give to the men and women of our time,” adds Francis, recalling Paul VI’s Evangelii nuntiandi, “which demonstrates the place of popular piety in the life of the Church and describes it as “a prophetic apostolic charter that helps, that goes ahead”. The Pope encourages the brotherhoods to “maintain associational life and charitable presence with creative and dynamic commitment”.
Be inspired by the Spirit and walk: as in processions, do so in your whole community life. May the richness and memory of your story never become a reason for you to withdraw into yourself, for a nostalgic celebration of the past, for closure about the present, or for pessimism about the future; Rather, today may they be a strong stimulus to reinvest your spiritual heritage, your human heritage, your economic, artistic, historical and even folkloric heritage, open to the signs of the times and to God’s surprises.
Walking in evangelical, church and missionary spirit
The Pope’s invitation to the Fraternities is to articulate their journey along three fundamental lines: evangelization, ecclesiality and missionary spirit, more concretely walking in the footsteps of Christ, walking together, walking and proclaiming the Gospel. For the Pope, the confraternities must be a place of proclamation and those who belong to them must approach the Gospel, read it daily, because the Gospel “makes the heart grow”. Have “physical contact with the gospel and then spiritual contact.”
I urge you to cultivate the centrality of Christ in your life, listening daily to the Word of God, regularly organizing and participating in formation moments, zealously receiving the sacraments and living an intense life of personal and liturgical prayer. May your ancient liturgical and devotional traditions be animated by spiritual life, by real spiritual life, by fervor and by the concrete commitment of charity. And do not be afraid to update them in connection with the Church’s journey, so that they can be an accessible and understandable gift for everyone, in the contexts in which you live and work, and an incentive to approach the faith, even for those who do are far away.
run together
In order to walk together, Francis then proposes that the communal tools of formation, discernment and consultation, the “secular experience of synodality”, are not “purely administrative or particularistic meetings” but “always and above all places of listening to God, listening to the Church, fraternal dialogue, marked by an atmosphere of prayer and sincere charity”. Only in this way can the fraternities “be living realities” and “find new ways of service and evangelization”.
Proclaiming the gospel by considering the needs of today’s world
As for the proclamation of the Gospel, that is, missionary spirit, the witness of faith is required, explains the Pope, taking care of the friars as many fraternities have done in this time of pandemic, especially the “new poverty of our time”, of which there are many and which must be identified.
Keeping alive the charism of service and mission, responding with creativity and courage to the needs of our time.
Finally, Francis renews the invitation to those who join the fraternities to be missionaries of God’s love, tenderness and mercy.