VATICAN - The Pope receives Confraternities of the Italy: “The Church in Italy needs you to help the Gospel of Charity reach everyone, along old paths and new”

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Since they were started Confraternities “have distinguished themselves for typical forms of popular piety and initiatives of charity to assist the poor, the sick and suffering, involving in this effort of generous assistance numerous volunteers of different social classes” the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI recalled during an audience in St Peter's Square on 10 November with thousands of members of Confraternities from dioceses all over Italy. The Holy Father recalled that confraternities were started in the Middle Ages, “when there was no forms of structured public assistance to guarantee social assistance and healthcare for the underprivileged people. This situation continued in later centuries even, we could say, when although there is more economic wellbeing, areas of poverty have not disappeared, therefore as in the past there is much work to be done in the field of solidarity”.
The Pope underlined that Confraternities are “not simply societies of mutual assistance or philanthropic associations, they are fraternal groups of people who, wishing to live the Gospel in the awareness of being a living part of the Church, strive to put into practice the commandment of love which leads us to open our hearts to others and particularly to those most in difficulty”. However “to communicate to our brothers and sisters the tender love of the heavenly Father it is necessary to draw from the source, God himself, with long periods of prayer, continual listening to his Word, and a life centred on the Lord and nourished by the Sacraments, the Eucharist especially.”
In view of the present situation “and these times of great changes”, Benedict XVI rallied the members of the Confraternities “ The Church in Italy needs you to help the Gospel of Charity reach everyone, along old paths and new…spread the message of salvation among all the people operating on the many frontiers of new evangelisation!” He recalled that this important work must be based on “profound love for the Lord and docile obedience to the bishops”: “On these conditions, meeting the requisites to be evangelical and ecclesial, your Confraternities will continue to be schools of faith and seed beds of sanctity; they will continue to be ‘ferment’ and evangelical ‘leaven’ in society and give rise to the spiritual awakening for which we all hope”.
Benedict XVI concluded encouraging the Confraternities to intensify initiatives and activities, to encourage the spiritual formation and striving for holiness of their members. “In all these centuries no few of your members- he said -, were outstanding for their courage and great faith, as sincere and generous workers for the Gospel some even with the sacrifice of their life. Follow their example! Today it is more necessary than ever to cultivate authentic ascetic and missionary spirit to face the many challenges of these modern times”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 12/11/2007; righe 35, parole 484)