Pope Francis dedicated his weekly catechesis to the 20th century Frenchwoman Madeleine Delbrêl, a venerable servant of God. This woman lived for 30 years in the poorest neighborhoods of Paris.
SUMMARY OF THE POPE'S CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH:
Dear brothers and sisters,
In our catechesis on apostolic zeal, we have been reflecting on the spread of the Gospel through the witness of Christians of every time and place. Today, we turn to the Servant of God Madeleine Delbrêl, a 20th century French social worker, writer and mystic. After a period of agnosticism in her youth, Madeleine encountered Christ through the witness of her friends and, following her conversion, chose to live a life completely devoted to God, in the heart of the Church and the world.
Madeleine was deeply moved by the plight of the poor and the anguish of those struggling to find meaning in life; she saw this as an urgent summons to reawaken missionary fervor in the Church of our day. For over three decades, she lived, prayed and worked among the poor in the peripheries of Paris. Madeleine Delbrêl’s example of apostolic zeal reminds us of our own baptismal mission to share the joy of the Gosepl with others, and, in the process, to grow in fidelity to the twin commandments of love of God and love of all our brothers and sisters.
I extend a warm welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially the groups from England, Denmark, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the United States of America. Upon all of you I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God bless you!
