The Pope began his speech by welcoming his guests and expressing his pleasure to meet them in the Vatican on the occasion of the convening of their general council in Rome.
Then the Pope confirmed that his guests are a “monastic family” devoted themselves to preaching the Gospel, and this family meets today in Rome to consider the future of the mission it carries out in the midst of the Church and the world. He said that the theme of the General Synod is “pilgrims of hope in the framework of communion”, pointing out that this obligatory topic is very similar to the one chosen to celebrate the upcoming jubilee of the Church. He pointed out that this topic carries with it the essence of the identity that distinguishes the members of the monasticism on the paths of the world, as disciples of the Lord Jesus, and they also follow the steps of their founder, Saint Eugenio de Mazenod, and are called to carry the gospel of hope, joy and peace.
The Pope added that our contemporary world has been able to achieve goals and achieve achievements that in the past seemed impossible, but on the other hand, it is still subject to selfishness, many contradictions and divisions. In this context, he referred to the cry of the land and the poor, as well as the wars and armed conflicts that shed a lot of blood throughout history, the difficult conditions experienced by millions of immigrants and refugees, and the economic system that increases the wealth of the rich and makes the poor poorer. These, he said, are some of the aspects of this dark scenario where only the Gospel can shine the light of hope.
Then the Pope said to his guests: You have chosen to be pilgrims and to live your lives as travelers on the paths of this world, alongside the men and women, the poor and the marginalized, to whom God has sent you to proclaim his kingdom. Francis recalled that the founder of the monastic order was also a pilgrim and a traveler, when he was walking with his companions in the paths of his village, announcing the good news and urging the poor to return to the faith, after they had lost it and after the men of the Church had abandoned them. The Pope stressed here the importance of missionaries being pilgrims and travelers, always ready to set out, just as the Lord Jesus did with his disciples in the Gospel.
Francis pointed out that the Missionari Oblati di Maria Immacolata congregation serves the Church and is present today in seventy countries around the world. He recalled that the founder of monasticism taught his followers to love the Church as their mother, and encouraged the attendees to put their missionary impulse and their lives at the disposal of the Church, and to participate in the process of going out to the outskirts of this world that God loved, and that missionaries must live the talents that lead them towards the distant, poor, and marginalized people. He said: By walking on this path with love and fidelity, the missionaries render a great service to the Church.
The Pope continued his address, noting that his guests felt called to rediscover their identity as priests and as brothers united by the bond of monastic consecration. He encouraged them to walk with the people of God, as pilgrims of hope, keeping their missionary vocation, along with the many lay men and women who share these gifts with them. He pointed out that their founder, Saint Eugenio, taught them how to view this world from the point of view of the Crucified Savior, this world that Christ died on the cross for his salvation. Recalling that the previous General Synod of the Order focused on hope, Francis pointed out that people who want to be missionaries of hope must know how to read the signs of its presence in the daily lives of people. He said: Learn how to recognize hope among the poor, and let these poor people preach to you too, because they teach you the path of hope, for the sake of the Church and for the whole world.
The Pope’s words did not fail to talk about the importance of hope accompanied by communion, explaining that communion is today a challenge on which the future of the world, the Church and the consecrated life can depend. He pointed out the need for missionaries to live communion among themselves, among communities and in personal relationships, and to develop it with everyone, without any exception. He urged everyone to strengthen communion through expressions of solidarity, closeness, synodality and fraternity, hoping that the example of the Good Samaritan would be an incentive to approach each person, with love and tenderness.
This encouraged everyone to continue working for the benefit of the common home as well, pointing out that Mother Earth feeds us without asking for anything in return. He hoped that the talents and missionary outlook that distinguished the founding saint would remain a reference for his followers, adding that the Church needs missionaries who always put the Lord Jesus as a model for them, just as Saint Eugenio did, who decided before the crucified Savior to give his life to all so that all people, especially the poor, could To experience the love of God that carried him on the path of faith.
In conclusion, the Pope wished that the work of the General Council would be crowned with success. He said that he accompanies his guests in prayer. Then he granted everyone his apostolic blessings and asked them to pray for him.