At his weekly General Audience, which took place today, Wednesday 30 September, Pope Francis concluded his series of catecheses on the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. The Holy Father noted that over the past few weeks we have been reflecting together as a people of faith on how we might heal the world from the suffering highlighted by the pandemic.
He said that as disciples of Jesus, “allowing ourselves to be guided by faith, hope and charity”, we have proposed to follow in His steps, opting for the poor, rethinking the use of material goods and taking care of our common home.
Pope Francis said that we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus who saves and heals the world and takes care of all without distinction on the basis of race, language or nation. In order to do this, and follow in his footsteps, the Holy Father said that we must contemplate and appreciate the beauty of every human being and of every creature, all conceived in the heart of God. In this way we can then recognise Christ present in our poor and suffering brothers and sisters, to encounter them and to listen to their cry and the cry of the earth that echoes.
Pope Francis said that in recognising Christ we will be able to regenerate society and not return to so-called “normality”, because the normality we once knew was “sick with injustice”. The virus has highlighted so many injustices, all of which are the result of humankind, he continued, instead, we are called to the normality of the Kingdom of God, “where there is bread for all and more to spare, social organisation is based on contributing, sharing and distributing, not on possessing, excluding and accumulating”.
“To come out of the pandemic, we must find the cure not only for the Coronavirus, but also for the great human and socio-economic viruses”, said the Pope.
Viralise love, globalise hope!
Finally, Pope Francis noted that a fair and equitable society is a healthier society and that together we can work towards the Kingdom that Christ inaugurated for us which is “a Kingdom of light in the midst of darkness, of justice in the midst of so many outrages, of joy in the midst of so much pain, of healing and salvation in the midst of sickness and death.
Concluding his address the HOly Father asked that together we make love go viral globalise hope in the light of faith”
ENDS
Source: General Audience Catechesis
