Pope Francis welcomed a French delegation representing the Catholic Action movement.
During the audience, 40 religious and lay people shared with the Pope the condition of the Catholic Church in France, explaining the difficult moment it is experiencing.
ABP. FRANÇOIS FONLUPT
“The life of our country, as you know, Holy Father, has been placed within the context of a society that has been weakened by the health crisis we are all going through and by social tensions. And also by the difficult period our Church is going through in light of the report on sex abuse within the Church.”
Pope Francis reminded those present of their call to be “modern” pilgrims. He recalled the methodology of the Catholic Action Movement: to see, judge and act, drawing on knowledge from the past while looking to the future.
POPE FRANCIS
'Let us remember, in this regard, that synodality is not simply a discussion. It is not an adjective. Never make the substance of life merely an adjective.'
They are representatives of the more than 40 communities that fall under the Catholic Action umbrella. This apostolic visit, in preparation for the 2023 Synod, marks the first time representatives of all these communities gather together.
BGA
TR: CT