Catechesis of Pope Francis: The Holy Spirit at Pentecost according to the Acts of the Apostles

Below is the complete catechesis of Pope Francis in the General Audience this Wednesday, October 9, in which he reflected on Pentecost, where “everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit”:

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In our catechesis itinerary on the Holy Spirit and the Church, today we refer to the book of the Acts of the Apostles.

The account of the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost begins with the description of some preparatory signs – the rushing wind and the tongues of fire – but finds its conclusion in the statement: “And everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit” (H 2,4). Saint Luke – who wrote the Acts of the Apostles – emphasizes that the Holy Spirit is the one who ensures the universality and the unit of the Church. The immediate effect of being “filled with the Holy Spirit” is that the Apostles “began to speak in other tongues” and left the Cenacle to announce Jesus Christ to the crowd (cf. Hch 2,4ss).

In doing so, Luke wanted to highlight the universal mission of the Church, as a sign of a new unity among all peoples. In two ways we see that the Spirit works for unity. On the one hand, it pushes the Church outwards, so that it can welcome more and more people and peoples; on the other, it brings it together within itself to consolidate the unity achieved. It teaches him to extend himself in universality and to gather himself in unity. Universal and one, this is the mystery of the Church.

We see the first of the two movements – universality – in action in chapter 10 of the factsin the episode of the conversion of Cornelius. On the day of Pentecost, the Apostles had announced Christ to all Jews and observers of the Mosaic law, whatever people they belonged to. Another “Pentecost” was necessary, very similar to the first, that of the house of the centurion Cornelius, to induce the Apostles to broaden the horizon and tear down the last barrier, the one that separated Jews and pagans (cf. Hch 10-11).

Geographic expansion is added to this ethnic expansion. Paul – we read again in the facts (cf. 16:6-10) – wanted to proclaim the Gospel in a new region of Asia Minor; but, it is written, “the Holy Spirit prevented him”; He wanted to go to Bithynia “but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow it.” The reason for these surprising prohibitions of the Spirit is immediately discovered: the following night, the Apostle received the order in a dream to go to Macedonia. The Gospel thus left its native region, Asia, and entered Europe.

We see the second movement of the Holy Spirit – the one that creates unity – in action in chapter 15 of Acts, in the development of the so-called Council of Jerusalem. The problem is how to ensure that the universality achieved does not compromise the unity of the Church. The Holy Spirit does not always bring about unity suddenly, with miraculous and decisive interventions, as at Pentecost. He also does it – and in most cases – with discreet work, respectful of time and human differences, including people and institutions, prayer and confrontation. In a way, we would say today, synodal. This is what happened, in fact, at the Council of Jerusalem, for the question of the obligations of the Mosaic law.

Saint Augustine explains the unity caused by the Holy Spirit with an image that has become classic: “The Holy Spirit works in the Church the same as the soul does in all the members of a single body.” The image helps us understand an important thing. The Holy Spirit does not bring about the unity of the Church from the outside, he does not limit himself to ordering us to be united. He himself is the “link of unity.” It is He who makes the unity of the Church.

As always, we conclude with a thought that helps us move from the Church as a whole to each of us. The unity of the Church is the unity between people and it is not achieved by acting theoretically, but in life, it is realized in life. We all want unity, we all desire it from the depths of our hearts; However, it is so difficult to achieve that, even within marriage and family, unity and harmony are among the most difficult things to achieve and even more difficult to maintain.

The reason is that each person wants, yes, unity, but around their own point of view, without thinking that the other person in front of them thinks exactly the same about “their” point of view. In this way, the unit does nothing but move away. The unity of Pentecost, according to the Spirit, is achieved when one strives to put God, and not oneself, at the center. Christian unity is also built like this: not by waiting for others to join us where we are, but by moving together toward Christ. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us be instruments of unity and peace.