In his weekly catechesis, Pope Francis reflected on two characteristics of the Holy Spirit. He said that on the one hand, he pushes universality, to evangelise. On the other hand, he helps to bring unity in the midst of diversity.
“The unity of the church is unity among people and it is not done by negotiating but in life. It is realised in life,” the pope said.
“We all want unity, we all desire it in the depths of our heart and at the same time it is very difficult to obtain. Also, within a marriage and a family, union and harmony are among the most difficult things to achieve and even more difficult to maintain.”
In this regard, the pope encouraged us to reflect on a passage from the book of the Acts of the Apostles. It describes how the early church had to make its first important decision on a controversial issue.
“The Holy Spirit does not always bring about unity in a sudden way, with miraculous and decisive interventions, as seen at Pentecost.
“He does it, in most cases, with a discreet work, respecting the times and human divergences, passing through people and institutions, prayer and confrontation.
“In a way, we would say today, synodal. This is what happened at the Council of Jerusalem.”
Thousands of people attended the audience, which included a ride in the popemobile with some of the children.
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