Rome Newsroom, Nov 22, 2023 / 10:06 am
During his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, Pope Francis highlighted the universal nature of the Church’s mission to proclaim the Gospel, arguing that it is a call for everyone and that no one is excluded.
The Holy Father’s Nov. 22 catechesis was a continuation of last week’s lesson where he focused on the joy in proclaiming the Gospel, noting that without joy there is no credible witness to the Gospel message.
The pope on Wednesday quoted his 2013 apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”), stressing that Christians “have the duty to proclaim the Gospel without excluding anyone.”
“Instead of seeming to impose new obligations, they should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet,” the pope said, quoting the exhortation.