Pope: be missionaries, "men and women who leave everything" and give witness to Jesus
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Missionaries, "men and women who left everything: their home, as young people, and they went there to a life of so much work, sometimes sleeping on the ground ...", men and women who "do not proselytize," but "witness: this is the great heroic missionary work of the Church". This is how Pope Francis concluded his general audience with an appeal to young people to look at "what missionaries do”.
retraced the steps of the journey that has made the African continent 25 to 30 November.
Speaking to 20 thousand people in St. Peter's Square, dominated by a Christmas tree - a 25-meter high spruce donated this year by the municipalities of Hirschau, Schnaittenbach and Freudenberg, Bavaria - Francis then spoke his first apostolic trip to Africa - "Africa is so beautiful!" - recalling what he told an Italian nun who has been working as a nurse for 60 years in Bangui, in Central Africa.
Leaving his scripted address, he said” I met a nun in Bangui, she was Italian. I could see she was old: 'How old are you?', I asked. '81' - but not much: two more than me, not so much. She was with a little girl. And the little girl, in Italian, said to her: 'Grandma' - the nun ... 81 years old. She arrived there when she was 23-24 years old. A lifetime. And like her, many, many more. 'But I’m not from here’ she said ‘I’m from the neighboring country, the Congo; but I came in a canoe, with this child ... '... This is how brave missionaries are'. And what does she do, this nun?' - 'But, I'm a nurse and then I studied a bit' here and became a midwife and I delivered 3,280 children ': so she told me. A whole life for life, for the lives of others. And like this nun, there are many, many more: many sisters, so many priests, so many religious burning with life to proclaim Jesus Christ. This is beautiful to see. It's beautiful".
And, always off the cuff, he continued: "I would like to say a word to the young people. But there are very few, because the birth rate is a luxury, it seems, in Europe: 0 births, birth rate 1% ... But I appeal to young people: what do you think of your life. Think of this nun and many like her, who have given their lives and many have died! The missionaries do not proselytize because this nun told me that Muslim women go to them because they know that the sisters are brave nurses who treat them well, and they do not preach a catechesis for converting! No they witness. Then for those who ask them they do some catechesis. But 'witness': this is the great heroic missionary work of the Church. Proclaiming Jesus Christ with their lives! I appeal to young people: think about what you want to do in your life. It's time to think and ask the Lord to help you understand His will. But, please, do not rule out this opportunity to become a missionary, to bring love, humanity, faith to other countries. Not to proselytize: no. That is something that those who are looking for something else do. Faith is preached first by witness and then by word. Slowly".
Previously, retracing one of the stages of a journey, about Kenya, the first stage of the visit, he described it as "a country that represents the global challenge of our time: protect creation by reforming the development model so that it is fair, inclusive and sustainable. All of this is reflected in Nairobi, the largest city in East Africa, where wealth and poverty coexist, but this is a scandal! Not only in Africa: here too, is it not so? Everywhere. The coexistence of wealth and poverty is a scandal, it is a shame for humanity. "
"And there the Office of the United Nations for the environment has its headquarters,, which I visited. In Kenya, I met with the authorities and diplomats, as well as the inhabitants of a neighborhood; I met with the leaders of different Christian denominations and other religions, priests and consecrated persons, and met young people, many young people! On every occasion I have encouraged them to treasure the wealth of that country: the natural and spiritual wealth, made up of the resources of the earth, of the younger generation and the values that form the wisdom of the people. In this context so dramatically today I had the joy of bringing the word of hope of Jesus: "Be strong in faith, do not fear." This was the motto of the visit. A word that is experienced every day by so many humble and simple people, with noble dignity; a word testified so tragically and heroically by young people at the University of Garissa, who were killed on April 2 because Christians. Their blood is the seed of peace and brotherhood for Kenya, for Africa and for the whole world. "
"Then, my visit to Uganda took place in the name of the martyrs of that country, 50 years after their historic canonization, blessed by Pope Paul VI. For this reason the motto was: "You will be my witnesses" (Acts 1.8). A motto that presupposes the words immediately preceding: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes", because it is the spirit that animates the heart and hands of missionary disciples. And the whole visit to Uganda took place in the heat of the testimony animated by the Holy Spirit. Witness in explicit sense is the service of catechists, I thanked and encouraged them for their commitment, which often also involves their families. Witness to charity, which I had first hand experience of in the Nalukolongo House, seeing so many communities and associations engaged in the service of the poor, the disabled, the sick. The witness of young people who, despite the difficulties, preserve the gift of hope and try to live the Gospel and not according to the world, going against the trend. Witnesses are the priests, the consecrated men and women who renew their total 'yes' to Christ every day and engage with joy in the service of the holy people of God. And there is another group of witnesses, but I'll talk about them later. This multiform witness, animated by the same Holy Spirit, is leaven for the whole society, as evidenced by the effective work done in Uganda in the fight against AIDS and in the welcoming of refugees. "
"The third leg of the trip was in the Central African Republic, the geographic heart of the continent, the heart of Africa. This visit actually was my primary focus, because that country is trying to emerge from a very difficult period of violent conflict and suffering among the population. This is why I wanted to open right there, in Bangui, with one week in advance, the Holy Door of the Jubilee of Mercy. This country suffers so much. And it is a sign of faith and hope for the people, and symbolically to all the African populations most in need of redemption and comfort. The call of Jesus to the disciples, "Let us go to the other side " (Luke 8:22), was the motto for the Central African Republic. 'Go to the other side', in the civil sense means leaving behind war, divisions, poverty, and choosing peace, reconciliation and development. But this presupposes a 'step' that takes place in the minds, attitudes and intentions of the people. And at this level it is the decisive contribution of the religious communities. So I met the Evangelical and Muslim Community, sharing with them a prayer and commitment to peace. With priests and consecrated persons, but also with young people, we shared the joy of hearing that the risen Lord is with us on the boat, and it is He that is guiding us to the other side. And finally the last Mass at the stadium in Bangui, on the feast of the apostle Andrew, we have renewed our commitment to follow Jesus, our hope, our peace, Face of the Divine Mercy. But that last Mass was wonderful: it was full of young people, a stage of youth! But more than half the population of the Central African Republic are minors, under 18 years of age! This is a promise to move forward".
Then the Pope recalled the meeting with the Italian nun in Bangui and concluded: "We give thanks to the Lord together for this pilgrimage in Africa, and let us be guided by its key words:" Be strong in faith, do not be afraid "; "You will be my witnesses"; "Let us cross to the other side."
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