Pope Francis addressed a message to the participants of the Congress about the consecrated religious life taking place in Brazil on the occasion of its 70th anniversary, reminding them that “chastity is not austere sterility, but the path to love without possessing.”
At the beginning of his message, the Holy Father assured them of his closeness and his prayers “for the good development of the meeting and for it to bear abundant fruit in the life of each religious community and the Church in Brazil.”
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Likewise, he expressed gratitude for “the immense gift of the vocation to consecrated life which, in its most diverse charisms, enriches the ecclesial communion and contributes greatly to the mission of the Church throughout the world.”
In this sense, he specified that in many places “the first announcement of the Gospel has the face of consecrated men and women, who assume with great commitment and with the dedication of their lives the mandate of the Lord.”
The Holy Father also expressed that “the gift of vocation must be guarded and cultivated every day, so that it produces good fruits in the life of each religious.”
For this reason, he showed his joy for the motto chosen for this Congress, which is the recommendation that Jesus made to the apostles at the Last Supper: “Remain in my love.”
According to Pope Francis, “to live the divine call well, it is necessary to remain in his love, through constant dialogue with Jesus in daily prayer and fidelity to the vows that so beautifully express our consecration.”
He also expressed that “the consecrated life, if it remains firm in the love of the Lord, sees beauty. He sees that poverty is not a titanic effort, but a superior freedom, which gives us God and others as true riches.
“See that chastity is not austere sterility, but the path to love without possessing. “See that obedience is not discipline, but victory over our anarchy in the style of Jesus,” he said, recalling his homily of February 1, 2020 on the occasion of the World Day of Consecrated Life.
Finally, he encouraged them to live in the present “sustained by the mystique of the specific charisms of each religious family and prophetically committed to the proclamation of the Gospel.”
He also invited them to “look to the future with hope” and not to forget “to pray for me.”
Almudena Martínez-Bordiú
I am a graduate in Journalism and Advertising from the CEU San Pablo University in Madrid. Specialized in religious information in Spain since 2015. I have been a senior correspondent for ACI Prensa and EWTN Noticias in the Vatican for two years and I am currently a European correspondent based in Spain.