Pope Francis: Be witnesses of love

Source: Vatican Media

On Saturday Pope Francis greeted members of the newly-formed Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service (CHARIS) in the Paul VI hall who are taking part in an International Conference in the Vatican.

He told them: "this Pentecost begins a new stage on the journey inaugurated by the Charismatic Renewal fifty-two years ago.

The new service is called CHARIS and the Pope thanked the Dicastery for Laity, Family for making it a reality.

In his address, the Pope alluded to the fact that they were embarking on "a new and unique service of communion."

He said that at times what is new can be destabilizing but then added that, "the new things of God are always a blessing because they flow from his loving heart." The Pontiff invited those gathered to embrace the new, stressing that the temptation "to leave things as they are" was not a way of thinking that came from the Holy Spirit.

The Pope explained that the notion of "service" meant always giving and caring "for a variety of needs and to assist the journey in the best way possible."

Pope Francis underlined that what he and the Church expected from this new service, CHARIS and from the entire Charismatic Renewal was, to share baptism in the Holy Spirit with everyone in the Church; to serve the unity of the body of Christ which is the Church.

He also said, they were called to serve the poor and those in greatest need, physical or spiritual.

He added, that these three things were "forms of witness which, by virtue of baptism, all of us are called to give for the evangelization of the world."

It is an evangelization, Pope Francis stressed, "that is not proselytism but first and foremost witness: a witness of love."

Following his discourse to those gathered, the Pope invited them to stand and observe a minute of silence for peace. It came on the fifth anniversary of the meeting between the Israeli and Palestinian Presidents, along with Pope Francis, where they prayed in the Vatican Gardens for peace.