The Pope's catechesis began in an unusual way—with a wedding announcement.
POPE FRANCIS
Dear brothers and sisters: good morning. But today I would like to start with some good news. I would like to introduce you to two "suicides". These two are getting married this Saturday. A round of applause.
They are two employees of the Osservatore Romano, the Vatican's official newspaper. He is Arturo, from the Spanish edition, and she is Monika, from the Polish edition. Both read the summary of the Pope's catecheses in their respective languages at the end of the Wednesday audience.
On that same day, Francis, as he does after every trip, sets aside the usual cycle of catecheses to talk about the apostolic visit he has made. In this case it was the one that took him to Indonesia, Papua, East Timor and Singapore.
POPE FRANCIS
A first reflection that comes to me spontaneously after this trip is that when we think of the Church we are still too Eurocentric, or as they say: Western. But in reality the Church is bigger, much bigger than Rome or Europe, much bigger. And also, may I say, much more alive in those countries.
The Pope thanked God for allowing him to fulfill his dream as a young man, which was to go to the Far East to evangelize, and recalled how, once there, he was struck by the sacrifice made by missionaries and catechists in those lands.
JRB
TR: AT
