Pope Francis Tells Religious Sisters "... bear witness to the Gospel, making Christ visible through your presence, full of faith, hope and charity."
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Audience with participants in the General Chapter of the School Sisters of Our Lady, 11.13.2023
This morning, in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Francis received in audience the participants in the 25th General Chapter of the Scholastic Sisters of Our Lady and gave them the speech that we publish below:
Speech by the Holy Father
Dear sisters, good morning!
I welcome you all on the occasion of your twenty-fifth General Chapter, which is taking place here in Rome. You gather to give thanks to God for his blessings of the past and present and to discern the future path of your Congregation. You do so by drawing inspiration from the legacy of your Foundress, Blessed Teresa of Jesus Gerhardinger, of whom November 17, the last day of the Chapter, marks the anniversary of her beatification. And how is the cause of canonization going?
The life of Blessed Teresa was a testimony of transforming faith, of courage in creating new paths and of dedication to the education of young people. Her pedagogy wanted to be integral: together with intellectual education she also included the care of the spirit and the formation of compassionate, responsible and Christ-centered people, that is, the formation of the heart, to have compassion. In her footsteps, you have continued along these three paths of education, service and spirituality. As we read in your Constitutions, Blessed Teresa "founded the congregation on the Eucharist, anchored it in poverty and dedicated it to Mary" (see nos. 17-18). I like this: anchoring in poverty. Without true poverty, there is no religious life. Poverty is what consecrated life preserves. And not only is it a virtue, no, it is the guardian. Don't forget this. This solid foundation has allowed the School Sisters of Notre Dame to go throughout the world and bear witness to the Gospel, making Christ visible through your presence, full of faith, hope and charity (see Constitutions, n. 4).
The theme you have chosen for your General Chapter: “Being prophetic witnesses for universal communion”, is of great importance in the context of our times. The Scriptures offer us numerous references to the prophetic vocation of individuals and communities who promoted communion between the different members of the holy, faithful People of God. I think, for example, of the prophet Jeremiah, whose mission was to unite with the people of Israel in his suffering to help him recognize and respond to the love of God who always wants to make an alliance. We also think of Saint Paul, who reminded the first Christians of Rome that "although we are many, we are one body in Christ" (Rom 12.5). In fact, your charism of "leading all to the unity for which Christ was sent" is founded on Jesus' desire for unity among all those who believe in Him (see John 17:11).
As women who profess the evangelical counsels, you have long been pioneers in embracing the prophetic dimension of consecrated life, which «constitutes a living memory of the way of existing and acting of Jesus as the incarnate Word before the Father and before his brothers » (Apostolic Exhortation Vita consecrata, 22). And your dedication is a sign, not only of the gift you have made of yourselves to the Lord, but also of your willingness to serve, in Him, all our brothers and sisters.
As you now reflect on new paths for your Congregation's journey, always remaining rooted in the solid foundation laid by the Foundress, I encourage you to continue to be courageous witnesses of evangelical solidarity, in a time in which many experience fragmentation and disunity. This responsibility takes on even greater importance in light of the synodal path that the whole Church is undertaking. Your Chapter is a propitious time to listen more carefully to the Holy Spirit and to listen to each other, in order to improve the bonds that unite you as sisters and as members of the Body of Christ.
And I would like to underline this: listen. We like to talk all the time, to everyone. And not just to women, to us too. To everyone. But it's so hard to learn to listen. The Lord also speaks to us through others. Listen to others, and not, while the other is speaking, think: "What will I answer?". No. Listen: let it get to the heart and then, if I feel like responding, I respond. Listening is precisely a virtue that we must grow in our communities, in consecrated life. Listen to the Lord, but also listen to your brothers and sisters. This is very important.
Dear sisters, I thank you for your visit. May the Holy Spirit grant you his gifts in abundance, so that the deliberations and decisions of the Chapter may bear much fruit in the life of your community. And there will be fruit if you know how to listen. May the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, protect you, help you and be your safe guide on the journey. I heartily bless you and all your sisters scattered throughout the world. How many are they? How many sisters? [They answer: “1900”] 1900? Say hello to them all! 1900 kisses. I heartily bless you and all your sisters, and I ask you, please, to pray for me, because I need it.
This morning, in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Francis received in audience the participants in the 25th General Chapter of the Scholastic Sisters of Our Lady and gave them the speech that we publish below:
Speech by the Holy Father
Dear sisters, good morning!
I welcome you all on the occasion of your twenty-fifth General Chapter, which is taking place here in Rome. You gather to give thanks to God for his blessings of the past and present and to discern the future path of your Congregation. You do so by drawing inspiration from the legacy of your Foundress, Blessed Teresa of Jesus Gerhardinger, of whom November 17, the last day of the Chapter, marks the anniversary of her beatification. And how is the cause of canonization going?
The life of Blessed Teresa was a testimony of transforming faith, of courage in creating new paths and of dedication to the education of young people. Her pedagogy wanted to be integral: together with intellectual education she also included the care of the spirit and the formation of compassionate, responsible and Christ-centered people, that is, the formation of the heart, to have compassion. In her footsteps, you have continued along these three paths of education, service and spirituality. As we read in your Constitutions, Blessed Teresa "founded the congregation on the Eucharist, anchored it in poverty and dedicated it to Mary" (see nos. 17-18). I like this: anchoring in poverty. Without true poverty, there is no religious life. Poverty is what consecrated life preserves. And not only is it a virtue, no, it is the guardian. Don't forget this. This solid foundation has allowed the School Sisters of Notre Dame to go throughout the world and bear witness to the Gospel, making Christ visible through your presence, full of faith, hope and charity (see Constitutions, n. 4).
The theme you have chosen for your General Chapter: “Being prophetic witnesses for universal communion”, is of great importance in the context of our times. The Scriptures offer us numerous references to the prophetic vocation of individuals and communities who promoted communion between the different members of the holy, faithful People of God. I think, for example, of the prophet Jeremiah, whose mission was to unite with the people of Israel in his suffering to help him recognize and respond to the love of God who always wants to make an alliance. We also think of Saint Paul, who reminded the first Christians of Rome that "although we are many, we are one body in Christ" (Rom 12.5). In fact, your charism of "leading all to the unity for which Christ was sent" is founded on Jesus' desire for unity among all those who believe in Him (see John 17:11).
As women who profess the evangelical counsels, you have long been pioneers in embracing the prophetic dimension of consecrated life, which «constitutes a living memory of the way of existing and acting of Jesus as the incarnate Word before the Father and before his brothers » (Apostolic Exhortation Vita consecrata, 22). And your dedication is a sign, not only of the gift you have made of yourselves to the Lord, but also of your willingness to serve, in Him, all our brothers and sisters.
As you now reflect on new paths for your Congregation's journey, always remaining rooted in the solid foundation laid by the Foundress, I encourage you to continue to be courageous witnesses of evangelical solidarity, in a time in which many experience fragmentation and disunity. This responsibility takes on even greater importance in light of the synodal path that the whole Church is undertaking. Your Chapter is a propitious time to listen more carefully to the Holy Spirit and to listen to each other, in order to improve the bonds that unite you as sisters and as members of the Body of Christ.
And I would like to underline this: listen. We like to talk all the time, to everyone. And not just to women, to us too. To everyone. But it's so hard to learn to listen. The Lord also speaks to us through others. Listen to others, and not, while the other is speaking, think: "What will I answer?". No. Listen: let it get to the heart and then, if I feel like responding, I respond. Listening is precisely a virtue that we must grow in our communities, in consecrated life. Listen to the Lord, but also listen to your brothers and sisters. This is very important.
Dear sisters, I thank you for your visit. May the Holy Spirit grant you his gifts in abundance, so that the deliberations and decisions of the Chapter may bear much fruit in the life of your community. And there will be fruit if you know how to listen. May the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, protect you, help you and be your safe guide on the journey. I heartily bless you and all your sisters scattered throughout the world. How many are they? How many sisters? [They answer: “1900”] 1900? Say hello to them all! 1900 kisses. I heartily bless you and all your sisters, and I ask you, please, to pray for me, because I need it.
Translation from https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2023/11/13/0792/01729.html
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