Pope sends videomessage to
Spanish religious
Pope Francis says, we must avoid “electoral campaigning” or
“advertising campaigns” because “God’s call does not work through marketing
models”.
By Philippa Hitchen
Pope Francis has sent a video message to hundreds of Spanish
men and women religious who are taking part in a meeting in the capital Madrid.
The encounter, organized by the national theological
institute for religious life, opened on Thursday and runs through Sunday April
8th, focusing on the theme of young people discerning vocations to
consecrated life.
Young people losing their roots
In the message sent to the head of the theological
institute, Fr Carlos Martìnez Oliveras, Pope Francis says he fears that young
people are losing sight of their roots. He notes that the background to the
meeting is the lack of vocations to religious life in Spain today.
But the Pope adds: “we cannot limit ourselves to
complaining” or simply surround ourselves with “regrets for past glories, when
the Lord tells us to look ahead and see what we have to do”.
Avoid proselytising
The goal of the meeting is to reflect on the forthcoming
Synod of Bishops on young people and vocations, focusing especially on the
calling to religious life. Among those addressing the encounter are Cardinals
Carlos Osoro Sierra and Oscar Rodrìguez Maradiaga, as well as the secretary of
the Congregation for Religious Life, Archbishop José Rodrìguez Carballo and the
head of the Taizé community, Brother Alois.
In the message, Pope Francis says it is important to avoid
proselytising, seeking instead “to open ways for the Lord to speak and to call”
young people.
Be courageous
Above all, the Pope says, we must avoid “electoral
campaigning” or “advertising campaigns” because “God’s call does not work
through marketing models”.
Pope Francis urges Spain’s religious to be courageous and to
help young people recover their roots, so that “your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams”.
Re-establish inter-generational dialogue
More than ever today, the Pope concludes, it is necessary to
re-establish an inter-generational dialogue between the young and the elderly,
between grandparents and grandchildren. We must listen to the concerns of the
young and the old, he says, while praying and witnessing, leaving the number of
vocations in the hands of the Lord.
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