Carrying the Gospel to the world, with and within the Church

“Go on. Courage! Thank you for your generosity. Don’t forget the look of Jesus who sent each of you to preach and obey the Church. Thank you very much!” With these words Pope Francis concluded the short and intense speech, which he delivered entirely without strings, to the modern cosmopolitan societies that were received today in the Paul VI Hall.

The pontiff spoke after the initiator of the road, Kiko Arguelo, introduced him to the 430 families of the Movement departing for the mission at the end of the Tenth World Meeting of Families. The destination is “the most secular and poorest region” in Europe and the world “to proclaim the love of the Risen Christ”.

Drawing from the Gospel, Francis said: “We have heard the message of Jesus: ‘Go, bear witness, preach the Gospel.’ From that day forward, the apostles, the disciples, and the people all came forward with the same power that Jesus gave them: it is the power that comes from the Spirit. “Go and preach … I depend …” “.

“But we know – he immediately added – that as soon as we have been baptized, the congregation which arises from that baptism is free, it is a new church; And we have to let it grow, and help it grow in its own way, with its own culture…». This is actually the “History of the Annunciation”.

That is: “All are equal in terms of faith: I believe in God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Son who was incarnate, died and rose for us, the Spirit who helps us and makes us grow: the same faith.” But “all in the way of their own culture or the culture of the place where the faith was preached.” For the Pope, this work, this multicultural richness of the Gospel, which is born from the evangelization of Jesus Christ and becomes a culture, is “Church History: Many Cultures but the same Gospel.”

“Many peoples” and “the same Jesus Christ.” “A lot of good intentions” and “the same spirit.” Namely, “we are called to this: to come forward in the power of the Spirit, bearing the Gospel in our hearts and hands.” That is, “the gospel of Jesus Christ, not my gospel: it belongs to Jesus Christ, which is adapted to different cultures, but is the same.” Indeed, “Faith grows, faith is not sown, but faith is always the same.”

Then Francis continued: “This missionary spirit, that is to allow man to be sent, is an inspiration to all of you.” “I thank you for this,” he added, “and I ask you to submit to the Spirit that sends you, and to obey and obey Jesus Christ in His Church.” He urged “everything in the church, nothing outside the church.” Indeed, “this is the spirituality that must always accompany us: the proclamation of Jesus Christ by the power of the Spirit in the Church and in the Church.”

And “He who is the head of – let’s say – the different churches is the bishop.” Thus “always go with the bishop, always.” Because he is “the head of the Church, in this country, in this state…”. In his opening speech, Kiko Arguelo, in addition to greeting and thanking the Pope, conveyed, among the applause of the numerous attendees, the news that the Diocese of Madrid reported that the cause of the beatification and canonization of Carmen Hernández, the gesture, would be officially inaugurated with Kiko of the Neocatechumenal Way, who passed away in July 2016.