Pope Francis on November 7 asked religious not to succumb to pessimism over a lack of vocations and to pray with him to “deliver us from the presumption of self-sufficiency and the spirit of worldly criticism.”
Addressing representatives of the Claretianum Institute of the Theology of the Consecrated Life on the occasion of its 50th anni-versary at the Vatican on Nov. 7, the pontiff asked the religious to pray with him to God: “You who feed us with tenderness, deliver us from self-referentiality, from the diabolical deception of pola-rizations, from ‘isms.’”
Pope Francis warned that con-secrated life today should not be discouraged by a “lack of voca-tions or by aging.”
“Those who allow themselves to be caught up in pessimism set aside their faith,” he continued.
“It is the Lord of history who sustains us and invites us to faithfulness and fruitfulness. He cares for his ‘remnant,’ looks with mercy and benevolence upon his work, and continues to send his Holy Spirit.”
Pope Francis with representa-tives of the Claretianum Institute of the Theology of the Conse-crated Life at the Vatican, Nov. 7, 2022.