Unity, inculturation and freedom were three important aspects of Pope Francis’ catechesis at Wednesday’s general audience, witnessed by Saints Cyril and Methodius. These two “apostles to the Slavs” preached the gospel in the languages of the peoples in the areas to which they went. The Pope emphasized that “faith must be localized and culture must be evangelized, as it should always be.”
(Vatican News) “St. Cyril and St. Methodius were born into aristocratic families in Greece in the ninth century. They gave up their political careers and became hermits. They are brothers and are known as the ‘Apostles of the Slavs'” . Pope Francis introduced the two saints to the believers gathered in St. Peter’s Square during a public audience on Wednesday, October 25, and continued his catechesis on the theme of “Apostolic Zeal.”
Spread the faith in mother tongue
The Pope mentioned that St. Cyril and St. Methodius were “sent to the Great Moravia region as missionaries.” The brothers learned the local culture and realized that only in this way could they explain the Bible to the local people and spread the word Christianity. Saint Cyril once said, “Who can write a lecture on water?”. “Indeed,” the Pope said, “specific, appropriate and specific tools were needed for the spread of the Gospel and for prayer. Therefore they invented the Glagolitic alphabet and translated the Bible and liturgical texts. As a result, people felt that Christianity was no longer ‘foreign’. ‘, it has become localized and has become their faith, a faith expressed in their mother tongue.”
Pope approves Slavonic liturgical book
However, the initiative of the two hermits aroused opposition from the Latins, who believed that “God can only be praised in the three languages written on the cross, namely Hebrew, Greek and Latin.” The pope said their concerns were due to fear of losing “the privilege of preaching among the Slavs.” Cyril responded strongly, the Pope said: God wants every nation to praise Him in its own language. Cyril and his brother Methodius asked the Pope for help, and the Pope approved the liturgical books they wrote in Slavic and placed the liturgical books on the altar of the Basilica of Our Lady, with the texts of these liturgical books Sing a song of praise to the Lord. “
Unity, localization and freedom
In this way the word of God spread among these peoples. The Pope emphasized the testimony of the two saints in three aspects. The first is unity. “There were no divisions in European Christianity during that period, and the entire Church worked together to spread the Gospel.” The second is localization. The Pope pointed out: “Cultural evangelization and gospel localization show that evangelization and culture are closely connected. Therefore, the gospel cannot be preached in an abstract or distilled way. Absolutely! The gospel must be localized. It is also culture. expression.” The third aspect is freedom. The Pope emphasized that “freedom is needed, but freedom always requires courage. The braver a person is, the freer he is and does not let himself be constrained by the many things that deprive him of his freedom.”
Finally, the Pope issued an invitation to all the faithful present: “Brothers and sisters, we would like to ask the Slavic apostles Saints Cyril and Methodius to intercede with God for us, may we become instruments of ‘love and freedom’ for others. Through prayer and service, being creative, persevering and humble.”
Link URL:www.vaticannews.cn
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2023-10-25 11:18:00
