From Saint Peter’s Square, the Pope resumed his cycle of catechesis on the Holy Spirit. Referring to the Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Father stressed that universality does not compromise the unity of the Church, because the Holy Spirit works synodally and is Himself the “bond of unity”.
Alexandra Sirgant – Vatican City
Continuing his cycle of catechesis on the Holy Spirit and the Church, Pope Francis stopped this Wednesday, October 9, on the story of the Acts of the Apostles, a book of the New Testament written by Saint Luke whose story relates the history of first Christian communities and shows the action of the Holy Spirit through all human obstacles. The Holy Spirit guarantees universality without compromising the unity of the Church, explained the Bishop of Rome during his general audience.
«All were filled with Sound Spiritt” (Acts 2, 4) writes Saint Luke. “In doing soexplained the Holy Father, Luke wanted to underline the universal mission of the Church, a sign of a new unity between all peoples“. The Spirit works toward unity in two ways: “On the one hand, it pushes the Church outwards, so that it can welcome more and more people and peoples; on the other hand, he brings it together inside to consolidate the unity achieved».
The two movements of the Holy Spirit
The first movement is “universality», continues Francis, as we can see at work in chapter 10 of the Acts of the Apostles, in the episode of the conversion of Cornelius. “On the day of Pentecost, the apostles announced Christ to all the Jews and to all those who respected the law of Moses, whatever the people to which they belonged. It took another “Pentecost”, very similar to the first, that of the house of the centurion Cornelius, for the Apostles to broaden the horizon and bring down the last barrier, that between the Jews and the pagans. (cf. And 10-11)».
«To this ethnic expansion is added a geographical expansion» because the apostle Paul initially wanted to proclaim the Gospel in a new region of Asia Minor but, Acts indicates, “the Holy Spirit had prevented them» car «the following night, the Apostle received in a dream the order to pass into Macedonia.. «The Gospel thus left its native Asia to enter Europe», underlined the Pope.
The Holy Spirit is the bond of unity
The second movement of the Holy Spirit, that which creates unity, is at work in chapter 15 of the Acts of the Apostles, underlined the Sovereign Pontiff, “in the course of what is known as the Council of Jerusalem“, which will opt for pagans adhering to the faith for freedom with regard to circumcision and the observances imposed by the Law of Moses.
«The Holy Spirit does not always bring about unity suddenly, through miraculous and decisive interventions, as at Pentecost.” more “does it also -and in most cases- through discreet work, respectful of time and human differences, through people and institutions, through prayer and confrontation“. A process “synodal» underlined the Pope, referring to the second session of the synod of bishops “for a more synodal Church» underway this month at the Vatican.
In order to understand the unity brought by the Holy Spirit, the Bishop of Rome continued by recalling the image proposed by Saint Augustine: “What the soul is to the human body, the Holy Spirit is to the body of Christ, which is the Church“. The Holy Spirit does not just command to be united, but is himself the “unit link».
Put God at the center
Francis concluded his catechesis by personalizing the desire for the unity of the Church to the lives of each person. “We all want unity, we all desire it from the depths of our hearts; yet it is so difficult to achieve that, even within marriage and family, unity and harmony are among the hardest things to achieve and even more difficult to maintain.» he explained. “Pentecostal unity, according to the Spirit, is achieved when we strive to put God, not ourselves, at the center. Christian unity is also built in this way: not by waiting for others to join us where we are, but by moving together towards Christ.».
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