Rome Newsroom, Nov 16, 2023 / 15:45 pm
Pope Francis on Thursday addressed participants of the study conference “Community Dimension of Holiness,” which had gathered in Rome from Nov. 13–16 at the Augustinian Patristic Pontifical Institute to reflect on the theme of universal holiness.
The Holy Father divided the notion of universal holiness into three main components: “Holiness that unites, family holiness, and martyrdom holiness.”
The pope explained that the vocation to holiness is first and foremost underscored by charity and “therefore it is not only a personal event but also a community one. When God calls the individual, it is always for the good of all.”
The pope reinforced this point by drawing upon the example of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower of Jesus. The pope commemorated the saint in his recent apostolic exhortation C’est la Confiance (“It is Trust”).