In the Sep. 30 public consistory for the creation of cardinals, Pope Francis reminded the newly-created cardinals that they were “representing the harmony and synodality of the Church.”
“Mother Church, who speaks all languages, is one and is Catholic,” he said, stressing that “the faith is transmitted in dialect.”
During Wednesday’s audience, the pope went on to stress that the evangelical mission of Sts. Cyril and Methodius is one rooted in unity, between “the Greeks, the pope, the Slavs.” He continued: “At that time, there was an undivided Christianity in Europe, which collaborated in order to evangelize,” the pope said.
“Evangelizing culture and inculturation shows that evangelization and culture are closely connected. You cannot preach an abstract, distilled Gospel. No, the Gospel must be inculturated and it is also an expression of culture,” the pope said.
The saints hold a special place both for the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches. St. John Paul II, the first Slav to become pope, made the saints co-patrons of Europe, alongside St. Benedict, in 1980. They are also venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Churches as “equal-to-apostles,” a title given to those saints whose contribution to the spread of Christianity is equivalent in scope and magnitude to the apostles. They have the additional appellation of “enlighteners of the Slavs.”
The pope closed his audience highlighting the third element present in their witness: “In preaching you need freedom, but freedom always needs courage. A person is free the more courageous he is and doesn’t let himself be chained by many things that take away his freedom.”
At the end of the greetings to the various pilgrim groups present in the piazza, Pope Francis renewed his appeal for peace.
“I always think of the serious situation in Palestine and Israel: I encourage the release of the hostages and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” he said. “I continue to pray for those who suffer and to hope for paths of peace, in the Middle East, in the tormented Ukraine, and in other regions wounded by war.”
“I remind everyone that the day after tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 27, we will experience a day of fasting, prayer, and penance at 6 p.m. in St. Peter’s [Square]; we will gather to pray to implore peace in the world,” he concluded.
Matthew Santucci is a CNA Rome correspondent based in EWTN's Vatican bureau. He grew up in Connecticut and has been living in Rome since 2020. He has a B.A. in History from Fordham and an M.A. in International Relations from Luiss Guido Carli.