Pope Video: Gift of diversity

In the Pope Video for January 2024 we are called to celebrate the gift of diversity in the Church.

In The Pope Video for January, Pope Francis encourages us “to recognize the gift of different charisms within the Christian communities, and to discover the richness of different ritual traditions within the Catholic Church.” The Holy Father’s intention becomes a moving appeal: “There is no need to fear the diversity of charisms in the Church. Pope Francis acknowledges the contribution the Eastern Churches offer: “They have their own traditions, their own characteristic liturgical rites, yet they maintain the unity of the faith. They strengthen it, not divide it.”

Father Frédéric Fornos S.J., International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, underlines “that the diversity of charisms, of theological and liturgical traditions in the Catholic Church, is something positive. There are also many spiritual traditions, such as those promoted by religious orders and congregations. God loves diversity, it is a sign of the Holy Spirit’s presence. This is how He leads us to the fullness of truth, to the full breadth, height and depth of His love. This is why, as Pope Francis says, “living this diversity should make us rejoice.” Our faith grows when we open ourselves to this diversity, also in “ecumenical dialogue with brothers and sisters of other confessions and Christian communities.” This is not something “confusing or disturbing,” the Pope insists, but rather it is “a gift God gives to the Christian community so it might grow as one body, the Body of Christ.”

Click on video link above to watch the Pope Video ».