In the cathedral of the capital of East Timor, Pope Francis met with bishops, priests, religious and lay people committed to the work of evangelization in the country.
The testimony of one of them was moving: an 87-year-old man who had to stop teaching catechesis at the age of 82 because of Parkinson's disease. But before that, he would sometimes walk over 6 miles in bad weather conditions to teach catechism.
It seems that this man competes with the apostle St. Paul.
The Pope used this example to teach about the need to be a missionary Church, a Church that goes out of its comfort zone to evangelize.
POPE FRANCIS
In the Gospel, the boundaries are the center. And a Church that has no capacity for boundaries and hides in the center is a very sick Church.
The Pope also insisted on the need for the Church to adapt to local cultures without losing its identity. He said that in every culture there are customs to eliminate.
POPE FRANCIS
The preaching of the faith must be inculturated in your culture and your culture must be evangelized. And this applies to all peoples, not only to you.
Pope Francis also emphasized to the audience the importance of not getting carried away by the prestige that sometimes comes with being a bishop, priest, religious or catechist. He also gave special thanks to the religious who take care of those in need, referring to them as the mothers who nourish the local Church.
JRB
