At his General Audience, Pope Francis concluded with a message about the World Cup in Qatar.
POPE FRANCIS
May this important event be an occasion of encounter and harmony among nations and may it promote fraternity and peace among peoples.
The Pope went on to ask for an end to the war in Ukraine and to the persecution of Christians throughout the world.
He also continued his catechesis on discernment. Pope Francis explained that the spiritual development of Christians must outgrow what he called the “infant phase.”
POPE FRANCIS
We talked about the dynamic of the child last time, who looks to his parents only to receive things, not for themselves, but out of interest.
We too run the risk of living our relationship with God in a childish way, seeking our own interests, reducing him to an object for our use and consumption, losing sight of the most beautiful gift, which is God himself.
As the temperature drops, the next audiences may be held in the Paul VI Hall. However, for the moment, it seems that Pope Francis enjoys holding the audience outside where he can interact with more people. Despite his mobility problems, the Pope has continued to take children with him for rides in the popemobile— a memorable experience for the children.
JRB
TR: MG