Pope Francis reflects on the Church as the heavenly bride

October 15, 2014

Reflecting on a passage from the Book of Revelation, Pope Francis discussed the bridal nature of the Church in his October 15 general audience.

The Church, he said, prepares each day for her definitive meeting with Christ the Bridegroom. Quoting St. Paul, he asked the crowd to repeat three times with him, “We shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Christian hope, he continued, is not “simply a desire,” nor is it “optimism,” but instead “an expectation, a fervent and impassioned expectation of the ultimate and definitive fulfillment of a mystery, the mystery of the love of God … Are we really luminous and credible witnesses to this expectation, this hope?”

Following the audience, Pope Francis encouraged families to pray the Rosary daily and paid tribute to St. Teresa of Avila and Pope St. John Paul II, whose feast days are October 15 and 16. “Let us learn from their evangelical radicalness.”

 

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Further information:

• Udienza generale: la speranza cristiana non è semplice ottimismo. Ampia sintesi (Vatican Radio)