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This morning, the Holy Father Francis received in audience:

- His Excellency Mr. Franklin Mauricio Zeltzer Malpica, Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela;

- His Eminence Cardinal José Cobo Cano, archbishop of Madrid, Spain;

- Bishop Carlos Humberto Malfa, emeritus of Chascomús, Argentina.

This morning’s General Audience took place at 9.00 in the Paul VI Hall, where the Holy Father Francis met with groups of pilgrims and faithful from Italy and all over the world.

During his address in Italian, the Pope continued his cycle of catechesis on “Vices and virtues”, focusing on the theme  Faith (Bible reading:  Jn 9,35-38).

After summarizing his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father addressed special greetings to the faithful present.

The General Audience concluded with the recitation of the  Pater Noster  and the Apostolic Blessing.

The following text includes parts that were not read out loud, but should be considered as such.

 

Catechesis of the Holy Father: Vices and virtues. 17. Faith

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today I would like to talk about the virtue of faith . Together with charity and hope, this virtue is described as theologal . There are three theologal virtues: faith, hope and charity. Why are they theologal? Because they can be lived – this virtue, the three theologal virtues – only thanks to the gift of God. The three theologal virtues are the great gifts that God gives to our moral capacity. Without them, we could be prudent, just, strong and temperate, but we would not have eyes that see even in the dark, we would not have a heart that loves even when it is not loved, we would not have a hope that dares against all hope.

What is faith? This question: what is faith? The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, it explains that faith is the act by which the human being freely commits himself to God (1814). In this faith, Abraham was the great father. When he agreed to leave the land of his ancestors to head for the land that God would show him, he would probably have been judged insane: why leave the known for the unknown, the certain for the uncertain? But why do this? It is insane, isn’t it? But Abraham sets off, as if he could see the invisible: this is what the Bible says about Abraham. “He went, not knowing where he was to go”. This is beautiful. And it will again be the invisible that makes him go up the mountain with his son Isaac, the only son of the promise, who only at the last moment will be spared from sacrifice. In this faith, Abraham becomes the father of a long line of descendants. Faith made him fruitful.

Moses was be a man of faith when, welcoming God’s voice even more than one doubt could have shaken him, he continued to stand firm and trust in the Lord, and even defend the people who were so often lacking in faith.

The Virgin Mary was a woman of faith when, receiving the annunciation of the Angel, which many would have dismissed as too demanding and risky, answered, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” ( Lk 1:38). And, with her heart full of faith, with her heart full of trust in God, Mary set out on a path of which she knew neither the route nor the dangers.

Faith is the virtue that makes the Christian. Because to be Christians is not first and foremost about accepting a culture, with the values that accompany it, but being Christian is welcoming and cherishing a bond, a bond with God: God and I, myself and the amiable face of Jesus. This bond is what makes us Christians.

With regard to faith, an episode of the Gospel comes to mind. Jesus’ disciples were crossing the lake, and are surprised by the storm. They think they can get by with the strength of their arms, with the resources of their experience, but the boat starts to fill up with water and they are seized by panic (cf. Mk 4: 35-41). They do not realize that they have the solution before their very eyes: Jesus is there with them on the boat, in the midst of the storm, and Jesus “was asleep”, says the Gospel. When they finally awaken Him, fearful and even angry that He would let them die, Jesus rebukes them: “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith ?” ( Mk 4:40).

Here, then, is the great enemy of faith: it is not intelligence, nor is it reason, as, alas, some continue obsessively to repeat; but the great enemy of fear. For this reason, faith is the first gift to welcome in Christian life: a gift that must be welcomed and asked for daily, so that it may be renewed in us. It is seemingly a small gift, yet it is the essential one. When we were brought to the baptismal font, our parents, after announcing the name they had chosen for us, were asked by the priest – this happened in our baptism: “What do you ask of the Church of God?” And the parents answered: “Faith, baptism!”

For Christian parents, aware of the grace that has been given them, that is the gift to ask for their child too: faith. With it, parents know that, even in the midst of the trials of life, their child will not drown in fear. See, the enemy is fear. They also know that, when the child ceases to have a parent on this earth, he will continue to have a God the Father in heaven, who will never abandon him. Our love is so fragile, and only God's love conquers death.

Certainly, as the Apostle says, faith is not for all (cf. 2 Thess 3:2), and we too, who are believers, often realize that we have only a short supply. Often Jesus can rebuke us, as He did with His disciples, for being “men of little faith”. But it is the happiest gift, the only virtue we are permitted to envy. Because those who have faith are inhabited by a force that is not only human; indeed, faith “triggers” grace in us and opens the mind to the mystery of God. As Jesus once said, “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, ‘Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea’, and it would obey you” ( Lk 17:6). Therefore, let us too, like the disciples, repeat to Him: Lord, increase our faith! ( Lk 17:5). It is a beautiful prayer! Shall we say it all together? “Lord, increase our faith”. Let us say it together [everyone] “Lord, increase our faith”. Too quiet… a bit louder: [everyone] “Lord, increase our faith”! Thank you.

 

Greeting in English

I extend a warm welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially the groups from Finland, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Uganda, India, Malaysia, Canada and the United States of America.  I also wish to express to the people of Kenya my spiritual closeness at this time as severe flooding has tragically taken the lives of many of our brothers and sisters, injured others and caused widespread destruction.  I invite you to pray for all those affected by this natural disaster.  Even amidst adversity, we remember the joy of the risen Christ, and I invoke upon you and your families the loving mercy of God our Father.  May the Lord bless you!

The following is the text of the Pope’s video with the prayer intention for the month of May, disseminated via the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, on the theme: Let us pray that men and women religious, and seminarians, grow in their own vocational journey through human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, that leads them to be credible witnesses of the Gospel :

 

Video Message of the Holy Father

Every vocation is a “diamond in the rough” that needs to be polished, worked, shaped on every side.

A good priest, sister or nun, must above all else be a man, a woman who is formed, shaped by the Lord’s grace, people who are aware of their own limitations, and willing to lead a life of prayer, of dedicated witness to the Gospel.

Beginning in the seminary and the novitiate, their preparation must be developed integrally, in direct contact with the lives of other people. This is essential.

Formation does not end at a certain moment, but continues throughout life, integrating the person intellectually, humanly, affectively, spiritually.

There’s also preparation to live in community - life in community is so enriching, even though it can be difficult at times.

Living together is not the same as living in community.

Let us pray that men and women religious, and seminarians, grow in their own vocational journey through human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, that leads them to be credible witnesses of the Gospel.

On  Thursday 2 May 2024 , at  13.30 , in the  Holy See Press Office , Sala San Pio X, Via dell’Ospedale 1, a  meeting will be held with journalists at the end of the International Meeting “Parish Priests for the Synod”  (Sacrofano/Rome, 29 April to 2 May 2024), organized jointly by the Secretariat General of the Synod and the Dicasteries for the Clergy, for the Eastern Churches and for Evangelization – Section for First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches.

The speakers, who will be available to the press for interviews, will be:  Msgr. Luis Marín De San Martín, O.S.A. , under-secretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod, and  some parish priests  who participated in the meeting.

 

Accreditation and participation procedure Journalists and media operators who wish to participate must no less than 24 hours before the event, via the Holy See Press Office online accreditation system, at https://press.vatican.va/accreditamenti , selecting the event:  Incontro con i giornalisti – “Parroci per il Sinodo”.

Journalists and media operators who are admitted will receive confirmation of participation via the online accreditation system.

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Journalists and media operators accredited for the Press Conference are invited to arrive 30 minutes before the start time.

Resignation and appointment of bishop of Araçuaí, Brazil

Appointment of auxiliary bishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of Salerno-Campagna-Acerno, Italy

 

Resignation and appointment of bishop of Araçuaí, Brazil

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Araçuaí, Brazil, presented by Bishop Esmeraldo Barreto de Farias.

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Geraldo dos Reis Maia, of the clergy of the archdiocese of Uberaba, until now rector of the preparatory seminary and parish administrator of São José in Uberaba-MG, as bishop of Araçuaí, Brazil.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Geraldo dos Reis Maia was born on 3 May 1964 in Babilônia, in the archdiocese of Uberaba. He carried out his studies in philosophy and theology at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica of Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte-MG. He subsequently continued his studied in theology, obtaining a licentiate from the Faculdade Jesuíta in Belo Horizonte-MG and a doctorate from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He was ordained a priest on 8 December 1988, and incardinated in the archdiocese of Uberaba.

He has held the following offices: parish priest of São Sebastião in Pedrinópolis-MG (1989-1991), Santa Terezinha in Uberaba-MG (1991-1997), Imaculada Conceição in Conceição das Alagoas-MG (1997-2003) and Santíssimo Sacramento in Uberaba-MG (2007-2008), rector of the major seminary (2007-2008), director of the Instituto Teológico São José in Uberaba-MG (2018-2014), professor of theology, and rector of the Pontifical Pio-Brazilian College of Rome (2014-2021).

To date, he has served as rector of the preparatory seminary and parish administrator of São José in Uberaba-MG.

 

Appointment of auxiliary bishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of Salerno-Campagna-Acerno, Italy

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Alfonso Raimo, until now vicar general, as auxiliary bishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of Salerno-Campagna-Acerno, Italy, assigning him the titular see of Termini Imerese.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Alfonso Raimo was born on 2 July 1959 in Calabritto, in the province of Avellino, in the present-day archdiocese of Sant’Angelo dei Lombardi-Conza-Nusco-Bisaccia. He was awarded a bachelor’s degree in theology from the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Southern Italy, San Luigi Section, and subsequently a licentiate in theology of mission from the Pontifical Urban University in Rome.

He was ordained a priest on 18 March 1990.

He has held the following offices: parish vicar of Santi Martino e Quirico in Fisciano (1990-1998), parish priest of Santi Martino e Quirico , Fisciano (1998-2011), regional head of missionary pastoral care of the Episcopal Conference of the Campania Region (2001-2012), lecturer in theology of mission at the Theological Institute of Salerno and the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences in Salerno (since 2007), parish priest of Santa Maria del Carmine e Sant’Eustachio in San Francesco, Eboli (2011-2019), national secretary of the Pontifical Missionary Union and the Pontifical Society of Saint Peter the Apostle of the Pontifical Mission Societies (2012-2015), parish priest of San Bartolomeo Apostolo , Eboli (since 2015), deputy director of the diocesan Missionary Office (2016-2020), vicar general and member of the Council of Economic Affairs of the diocesan Museum (since 2020), and member of the College of Consultors and the diocesan Pastoral Council (since 2021).