Vatican City, 26 May 2015 (VIS) –
This morning in the Sala Clementina of the Vatican Apostolic Palace
Pope Francis received in audience the participants in the General
Chapter of the Order of Friars Minor, dedicated this time to two key
aspects of their identity: minority and fraternity.
In his address, the Holy Father
remarked that minority “calls us to be and to feel small before
God, entrusting ourselves entirely to his infinite mercy. The
perspective of mercy is incomprehensible to those who do not
recognise themselves as 'minor': that is, as small, needy and sinners
before God. The more aware we are of this, the closer we are to
salvation; the more convinced we are of being sinners, the more
disposed we are to be saved. … Minority also means coming out of
ourselves, of leaving behind our preconceptions and personal views;
it also means going beyond structures – that are of course useful
if used wisely – and beyond our habits and certainties, to bear
witness to real closeness to the poor, needy and marginalised, with
an authentic attitude of sharing and service”.
Similarly, the dimension of fraternity
is essential for bearing witness to the Gospel. “In the primitive
Church, Christians lived in fraternal community to the extent that …
the people were surprised to see them so united in love, so willing
to give and to forgive each other”, commented the Pope. “Your
religious family is called upon to express this concrete fraternity,
by recovering this mutual trust in interpersonal relations, so that
the world may see and believe, acknowledging that Christ's love heals
wounds and renders us as one”.
In this respect, Francis invited the
Franciscans to be “bringers of mercy, reconciliation and peace”,
in obedience to their charism which has made them an “outbound
congregation” since their origins. “It is said that when the
first friars were asked to show their cloisters, they climbed a hill
and, showing the land around, as far as the eye could see, they
answered, 'This is our cloister'. Dear brothers, continue to go into
this cloister, which is the whole world, driven by Christ's love, as
St. Francis invites you to do … when he says … 'I counsel, warn
and exhort my friars in the Lord Jesus Christ, that when they go
about through the world, they are not to quarrel nor contend in
words, nor are they to judge others, but they are to be meek,
peaceable and modest, meek and humble, speaking uprightly to all, as
is fitting. … Into whatever house they may enter, first let them
say: 'Peace to this house', and … it is lawful to eat any of the
foods which are placed befor them”.
The Pope stressed that St. Francis'
exhortation remains valid. “It is a prophecy of fraternity and
minority for today's world too. How important it is to live a
Christian and religious existence without losing oneself in disputes
and gossip, cultivating a serene dialogue with all, … with modest
means, announcing peace and living in a sober fashion, content with
what is offered to you. This also requires decisive commitment to
transparency, to the ethical and fraternal use of goods, in a style
of sobriety. If, instead, you are attached to worldly goods and
wealth, and place your security there, it will be the Lord Himself
Who will despoil you of this spirit of worldliness in order to
preserve this valuable heritage of minority and poverty to which He
has called you through St. Francis. You will either be freely poor
and minor, or find yourselves denuded”.
“The Holy Spirit is the inspiration
for religious life”, continued Pope Francis. “When consecrated
persons let themselves be enlightened and guided by the Spirit, they
discover in this supernatural vision the secret of their fraternity,
the inspiration for their service to their brothers, the strength of
their prophetic presence in the Church and in the world. The light
and the strength of the Spirit will also help you face the challenges
that lie before you, especially the numerical decrease, ageing and
diminution of new vocations”.
“The people of God love you. Cardinal
Quarracino once said: 'In our cities there are groups or people who
are against the clergy, and when a priest passes by they say certain
things to him – in Argentina they call them “crows”. But I have
never, ever heard these remarks in the presence of a Franciscan
habit. Why? You have inherited authority with the people of God with
your minority, fraternity, meekness, humility, and poverty. Please
preserve this! Do not lose it. The people love you”.
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