This morning, June 6, the first audience of Pope Leo XIV with the s and representatives of the new movements and ecclesial realities took place in the Clementine Chapel, with the participation of our founder, Moysés Azevedo, Fr. Silvio Scopel, International Assistant of the Community, and Angélica Cunha, General Formator.
In this long-awaited meeting, the Pope was welcomed with applause, a sign of the great reception and joy of the new communities towards the Holy Father in this early stage of his Pontificate. In this way, Leo XIV addressed words of thanks and also motivation in favor of unity and mission to the s:
“You represent thousands of people who evangelize, the Church thanks you for that. Thank you for who you are and what you do!” the Pope declared.
He also emphasized that hierarchical and charismatic gifts are “co-essential” for the life of the Church: “Charisms are freely distributed by the Holy Spirit for fruitfulness among the faithful. A community sustains its own and announces to others.”
Referring to his own experience as a missionary, Leo XIV highlighted how mission shaped his pastoral experience and molded his spiritual life. He recognized that from charisms one lives in a missionary state: “Always keep the missionary impulse alive and put your gifts at the service of the mission. Unity and mission are the two cardinal points of the life of the Church. I invite you to the Pope in unity and mission.”
“Bearers of a charism that enriches others” 32462v
According to our founder, Moysés Azevedo, “The Pope’s words give us encouragement and strength to understand our place and mission in the Church.”
“I would highlight the Pope’s call to be faithful collaborators of the Holy Father with generosity in living unity and mission, two pillars of Peter’s mission. He motivated us to live unity among new communities, being close to other ecclesial realities. To be close to the people we meet on our journey. May our charisms always be at the service of unity by being ourselves, thus contributing to the life of communion in the Church,” Moysés emphasizes.
“Whoever bears a charism is called to enrich others, to let go of oneself, and this is a source of freedom and great joy,” highlights our founder on Pope Leo XIV’s speech.
For Fr. Silvio Scopel, the Pope’s words were “very motivating” to better live the Shalom charism: “Living unity and mission in fidelity to our charism is good for ourselves and good for the world,” he highlighted from the Pope’s speech.
For her part, Angélica Cunha emphasizes the renewal of the sense of belonging to the Church: “It is beautiful to see God’s generosity who raises in the spirit so many complementary realities. Each with its own call revealing that beautiful garden which is the Church.
“It was very good to be again at the feet of Peter, with the Pope, to feel the care and welcome of the Church that calls us to a new missionary impulse and not to stop placing Christ at the center. I am convinced that as a Community we will gather new fruits,” Angélica declares.
