Pope Francis describes the Fraternity of Romana as a pathfinder through its action inspired by the Gospel to advance “the dream of a fraternal and united world”.
By Francesca Merlo
Today’s world, marked by violence and conflict, needs fraternity, peace and friendship, Pope Francis said during his audience with around 500 members of the Fraternity of Romena in Italy and the Nain Group in the Paul VI Room.
In his speech, the Holy Father highlighted three experiences that allow the light of the Gospel to filter and risk the darkness of life: hospitality, care and fraternity. In fact, he said, this is the experience lived by those who arrive tired and oppressed, amid the beauty of nature and the charm of silence, to spend a few days at the ancient Romanesque parish church where the Fraternity of Romena is based, “a space of beauty, simplicity and listening,” said the Pope.
Hospitality
Speaking first of hospitality, the Holy Father emphasized that “Romena was born with this spirit, as a place where everyone can feel at home; everyone can come with what oppresses them, with the desire to rest body and mind and breathe the scent of the Gospel.” Never lose this spirit, the Pope stressed, inviting those present to “always work to cultivate this style of openness and welcome, to continue to be an oasis of freedom, expressing the infinite and free love of God for each creature.”
Care
The Holy Father then spoke about care. We immediately think of the compassion of Jesus when we hear these words, the Pope emphasized. “The Son of God exercised and embodied this tenderness of the Father who cares for us and, above all, for our wounds of body and spirit.” Romena also reminds us, the Pope said, that “being Christian means caring for the wounded and those who suffer, lighting the little lights where all seems lost.”
Social friendship
Finally, Pope Francis spoke of fraternity. He noted: “It is the heart of your way of living,” explaining that Romena’s prophecy is to realize the dream of a fraternal and united world; be sowers of peace and social friendship. “This expression ‘social friendship’ is very beautiful,” said the Pope. “But it is not easy to move it forward,” he added, stressing that one of the worst things that goes against this friendship is “gossip”, which “harms and destroys” . “Bite your tongue!” said the Pope, “because when we want to chat and we bite our tongue, our tongue swells and we can no longer chat.”
Life is too short
Life is too short
Finally, the Pope stressed that today’s world, still marked by violence and conflict, has a great need for “this fraternity, this social friendship” and it is for this reason that he asked each member present to “continue to practice fraternal hospitality, to offer a place where people can rest their heads and where everyone can feel loved by God and member of a universal fraternity, the one that the Father wanted to inaugurate in Jesus and that Jesus asks us to build with Him and with the Holy Spirit.” Life, the Pope concluded, “is too short to be selfish.”
