Pope at Audience: Cloistered religious demonstrate universal love
Pope at Audience: Cloistered religious demonstrate universal love At his weekly General Audience, Pope Francis continues his catechesis on apostolic zeal, and reflects on the prayer of monks and nuns as the “beating heart” of the Church’s mission. By Joseph Tulloch At his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Francis continued with his series of catecheses on “apostolic zeal”, this week focusing on the crucial role that monks and nuns play in the Church’s mission. The Holy Father’s catechesis focused in particular on Saint Gregory of Narek, a medieval Armenian monk who, he said, offers a shining example of the universal, all-embracing love which Christians are called to. The role of monks and nuns The Pope began by asking what contribution those who live in a monastery can make to the Church’s mission of announcing the Gospel. “Wouldn’t it be better,” he asked, “if they dedicated their energies to mission?”. Having raised the question, the Pope’s answer was a resounding no. “Monks