Pope Francis wishes the Marian Hill Missionary community to travel together with the help of the Holy Spirit and produce more fruits of evangelization.
Monsignor Joji Vadakara, Vatican City
At the conclusion of the 17th General Chapter of the Marian Hill Community established in the suburbs of Durban, South Africa, Pope Francis, who received community representatives at the Vatican on October 20, wished them to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and advance together in the ministry of the Gospel. The Pope recalled that it was the passion for evangelization that drove Frans Fanner Abbott and other members of the Trappist community to a special apostolic work.
The Pope said he hoped that the reflections and decisions of the General Chapter would confirm the members of the Church in the founding purpose of the Church. The Pope expressed the hope that this fellowship will help in faithfulness to the Gospel teachings, in the ambition for the evangelization of the nations, and in the growth of the Kingdom of Christ in holiness, justice and peace.
The Pope said that this year’s General Chapter, which is based on the motto of unity: those who are called to have the same spirit and the same purpose, highlights the importance of the global church proceeding through the synodal process, where the Synod of Bishops is about to be held next year, to foster ecclesial unity through spiritual reflections, mutual encounters and deliberations, and to highlight the missionary task of all Christians. These are the things that the Church intends through the Synod.
The Pope recalled that since the establishment of the Marian Hill Missionary Society, it had paid attention to evangelization, promotion of local vocations and emphasis on holistic human development. If the synodal process invites us to walk together, to listen together, the first voice to listen to is that of the Holy Spirit, the Pope exhorted.
The Pope said that we need the water of the Holy Spirit to improve our actions and to soften the hardness of our hearts, adding to the thoughts that Fanner Abbott had about the obelisk in Vatican Square. Pope Francis assured his prayers for growth in holiness and sincere service to the Gospel through the Year of the Spirit.
The Pope wished to be able to keep soft hearts and ended his sermon by asking everyone for prayer help.