The clergy are not solely responsible for spreading the Gospel, Pope Francis said in his morning homily on Wednesday.
The Pope spoke at Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Vatican guesthouse where he has been living since his election in March, and where he has been regularly celebrating morning Mass for different groups of Vatican employees.
Speaking to a congregation of employees of the Vatican bank, Pope Francis commented on the day’s reading from the Acts of Apostles (8:1-8), in which the early Christians scatter to escape a “severe persecution” and then go “about preaching the word.”
“They left home, perhaps they brought a few things with them; they had no security but went from place to place announcing the Word,” he said
“They are simple believers, baptised for only a year or maybe slightly longer. But they had the courage to go and announce. And they were believed. And they performed miracles.”
Pope Francis also noted the history of Japanese Catholics, who survived without priests for two centuries after missionaries were expelled in the 17th century. When missionaries were finally permitted to return, the Pope added, they found “all the communities in order, all baptised, all catechised, all married in the church.”
The Pope questioned whether laypeople today have equal faith in the “strength of baptism.” All of the baptised must “announce Jesus with our life, with our witness and with our words,” the Pope said.
“When we do this, the church becomes a mother church that bears children, but when we don’t do it, the church becomes not a mother but a babysitter church, which takes care of the child to put him to sleep.”
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.