Pope Francis: pray for the grace to live in accord with the faith

November 10, 2014

Pope Francis reflected on the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, his diocesan cathedral, during his November 9 Angelus address.

“We profess, in the unity of the faith, the bond of communion that all the local churches, spread throughout the earth, has with the Church of Rome and with its bishop, the successor to Peter,” Pope Francis said to the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “Every time we celebrate the dedication of a church, one essential truth is recalled: the material temple made of bricks is a sign of the Church alive and active in history-- namely, it is that ‘spiritual temple,’ as the apostle Peter says.”

“Consistency in life between faith and witness” is “not easy,” the Pope continued, but we should “go forward and have daily consistency in our lives. This is a Christian! Not so much for what he says, but for what he does, for the way in which he acts. This coherence, which gives us life, is a grace of the Holy Spirit that we should ask for.”

Today, as at the Church’s beginning, “the Church is called to be in the world a community that, rooted in Christ through Baptism, professes the faith in Him with humility and courage, while bearing witness to this in charity. Institutional elements, structures and pastoral organizations must be arranged to this fundamental purpose, to this essential aim: to give witness to faith through charity.”

 

---

For all current news, visit our News home page.

---

 
Further information:

• Le parole del Papa alla recita dell’Angelus (Holy See Press Office)
• On the Feast of the Lateran Basilica (Zenit)