Pope, at general audience, pays tribute to St. Charles de Foucauld
October 18, 2023
Continuing his series of Wednesday catecheses on the theme of “the passion for evangelization: the apostolic zeal of the believer,” Pope Francis devoted his October 18 general audience to St. Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916).
“In our continuing catechesis on apostolic zeal, we have been reflecting on the spread of the Gospel through the witness of men and women of every time and place,” Pope Francis said, in the words of the Vatican summary of his remarks. “Today we consider the life of Saint Charles de Foucauld, whose passionate love of Christ led him to settle in the Sahara desert and to become a brother and friend to the poor.”
The summary continued:
Following his conversion, Charles visited the Holy Land and was moved to devote his life to bringing Christ to others as Mary did at the Visitation: in silence and by example.
Dwelling as a hermit among the Tuareg people, he bore witness to the Lord above all by a life of poverty and humility centered on quiet prayer before the Eucharist, with utter confidence in its power to draw hearts to Jesus. By identifying completely with the poor, he sought to become a “universal brother” and in this way to share with them the joy of the Gospel.
May the example of Saint Charles de Foucauld inspire us, in the circumstances of our daily lives, to bear quiet and joyful witness to the Lord, and to see and honor him in each of our brothers and sisters.
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