Service, mission, joy: Pope challenges Luxembourg’s Catholics to evangelize
September 27, 2024
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CWN Editor's Note: During his one-day visit to Luxembourg (map), Pope Francis met with the Catholic community in Notre-Dame Cathedral, as the Church there begins a Marian jubilee marking the 400th anniversary of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted.
Reflecting on service, mission, and joy, the Pope said that “the spirit of the Gospel is a spirit of welcoming, of openness to everyone; it does not admit any kind of exclusion.”
The Pope then told the faithful that “what drives us to be missionaries” is “our desire to make known to as many brothers and sisters as possible the joy of encountering Christ.” He added:
Love moves us to proclaim the Gospel, which opens us to others ... This is a beautiful, healthy, joyful dynamism that we would do well to cultivate in ourselves and among those around us ...
Our faith is full of joy, it is a “dance,” because we know that we are children of a God who is our friend, who wants us to be happy and united, who rejoices above all in our salvation. On this issue, please remember that the Church is damaged by those sad, dull, long-faced Christians ... Please, have the joy of the Gospel, which makes us believe and grow so much.
The address in the cathedral was the second of two that he delivered in Luxembourg, following his address to civil leaders (CWN summary). The Western European nation of 680,000 is 74% Christian (71% Catholic), 4% Muslim, and 21% agnostic.
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