Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Spiritual triage: Help wounded, drop theoretical baggage, Pope says

byCNS
29 September 2014
Reading Time: 2 mins read
AA
Pope Francis

Pope Francis: "Today more than ever before, we have to contemplate God and the wonders of his love." Photo: CNS/Paul Haring

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Pope Francis
Pope Francis: “Today more than ever before, we have to contemplate God and the wonders of his love.”
Photo: CNS/Paul Haring

WITH so much spiritual, social and moral suffering in the world, the Church has “no right” to stay locked up in an ivory tower, engaging in “byzantine” philosophical reflection, Pope Francis told members of the Focolare movement.

“We have to go out! So that – I’ve said this before – the Church seems like a field hospital”, where the first order of the day “is heal the wounds, not measure people’s cholesterol. That comes later. Got it?” he said to applause.

The Pope met at the Vatican with 500 people from 136 countries; they were attending the Focolare general assembly in Rome from September 1-28.

During the assembly, members re-elected Italian Maria Voce for a second six-year term as president, and elected Spaniard Jesus Moran Cepedano as the new co-president.

In his audience with members of the movement on September 26, Pope Francis said the new evangelisation must go out to everyone, “starting with the poorest and excluded”, so they, too, may experience “hope, brotherhood and joy in humanity’s journey toward unity”.

Focolare members, like all Catholics, can contribute to “this new season of evangelisation” by being creative in the ways it brought God’s word to the world.

This work demanded “contemplation, going out, and formation”, he said.

“Today more than ever before, we have to contemplate God and the wonders of his love,” Pope Francis said. By recognising and letting Jesus dwell in them, he said, Catholics can avoid narcissism and can share him with others.

Going forth meant doing what Jesus did as he always was “walking and sowing anew”, freely and generously, the Pope said. This took “aiming high and expanding one’s gaze” beyond one’s own horizons, he said.

With God’s help, people would have the courage to face reproach as they looked for the Lord “outside the camp” and their comfort zone, he said.

Related Stories

Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict

The Church canonises 10 new saints who shared God’s love

Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

“He is waiting for us in the tribulations and wailing of our brothers and sisters, in the wounds of society and in the questions from today’s culture,” he said.

The Pope said it was “heartbreaking” to see “so many wounds, moral wounds, existential wounds, wounds from war” every day, but then to see Christians trapped in “byzantinism”, that is, engaging in complicated “philosophical, theological, spiritual” arguments and reasoning among themselves when instead “we need a spirituality of going out”.

“Go out with this spirituality; don’t stay inside under lock and key. This is not good,” he said. “We have no right to byzantine reflections. We have to go.”

Finally, he said, formation was key so that people, especially the young, can see God, “fall in love with him” and follow him while facing life’s challenges.

“Without adequate formation for younger generations, it is misleading to think that a serious and long-lasting project that serves a new humanity can be realised,” he said.

CNS

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Inventing love for the human heart

Next Post

Divorce, migration changing the face of families worldwide

CNS

Related Posts

Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict
News

Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict

19 May 2022
The Church canonises 10 new saints who shared God’s love
Vatican

The Church canonises 10 new saints who shared God’s love

16 May 2022
Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday
Vatican

Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

12 May 2022 - Updated on 18 May 2022
Next Post
family2

Divorce, migration changing the face of families worldwide

Pope Francis

Pope chooses 'family' as theme for World Communications Day 2015

Cardinal Pietro Parolin

Vatican calls Middle East diplomats to Rome for talks on current crises

Popular News

  • Pregnant woman

    Queensland election: The pro-life political parties committed to abortion law reforms

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Br Alan Moss remembered for a life of faith and learning

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Nationwide rosary event happening for Australia’s patroness this Saturday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Gwen has given 15,000 hours of cuddles to sick and premature babies
QLD

Gwen has given 15,000 hours of cuddles to sick and premature babies

by Joe Higgins
20 May 2022
0

BRISBANE grandmother Gwendoline Grant has clocked up 15,000 hours cuddling and caring for sick and premature babies...

Helping stroke survivors earns Ozcare volunteer national recognition

Helping stroke survivors earns Ozcare volunteer national recognition

20 May 2022
Br Alan Moss remembered for a life of faith and learning

Br Alan Moss remembered for a life of faith and learning

19 May 2022
Catholic relationship advisers offer five tips to look after your mental health

Nationwide rosary event happening for Australia’s patroness this Saturday

19 May 2022
Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict

Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict

19 May 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping