Pope Francis: Consecrated Need Authentic Guide

Sometimes speaking off the cuff, Pope Francis on May 4, 2018, painted a rather ironic picture of the Holy Spirit.

His remarks came during an audience with participants in the International Convention promoted by the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life,

“This Holy Spirit is a disaster because He never tires of being creative!” the Holy Father said, drawing laughter from the group gathered in Paul VI Hall in the Vatican. “Now, with the new forms of consecrated life, He is truly creative, with the charisms… It is interesting: He is the Author of diversity but at the same time the Creator of unity.

“This is the Holy Spirit. And with this diversity of charisms and many things, He makes the unity of the Body of Christ, and also the unity of consecrated life. And this too is a challenge.”

Pope Francis reminded the group that “today many things happen and, so as not to lose ourselves in this world, in the fog of worldliness, of provocations, of the spirit of war, many things, we need authentic criteria that guide us. That guide us in discernment.”

Continuing, he reminded those present of the three pillars of consecrated life: prayer, poverty, and patience:

• Prayer is always returning to the first calling. Any prayer, perhaps a prayer in need, but always a return to that Person who called to me.
• Without poverty, there is no fruitfulness in consecrated life. It is the “wall”, it defends.
• When we look at Jesus, patience is what Jesus had to arrive at the end of His life. When Jesus, after the Supper, goes to the olive orchard, we can say that in that moment, in a special way, Jesus “enters in patience”.

Address of the Holy Father

Good morning to you all!

I had thought of making a speech, well-written, good… But then it came to me to speak off-the-cuff, to say things suited to this moment.

The key to what I will say is what the Cardinal [Prefect of the Congregation] asked for: authentic criteria to guide us. Because truly, today many things happen and, so as not to lose ourselves in this world, in the fog of worldliness, of provocations, of the spirit of war, many things, we need authentic criteria that guide us. That guide us in discernment.

Then, there is something else: this Holy Spirit is a disaster [laughter] because He never tires of being creative! Now, with the new forms of consecrated life, He is truly creative, with the charisms… It is interesting: He is the Author of diversity but at the same time the Creator of unity. This is the Holy Spirit. And with this diversity of charisms and many things, He makes the unity of the Body of Christ, and also the unity of consecrated life. And this too is a challenge.

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Source: zenit.org