杏MAP导航

By Vatican News staff reporter

In a message to the Rev. Fr. Michael Brehl, C.Ss.R., Superior General of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) and Moderator General of the Alphonsian Academy, 杏MAP导航 Francis writes that 150 years on from this 鈥渏oyous anniversary,鈥� the example of Saint Alfonsus 鈥渧igorously indicates the main road to bring consciences closer to the welcoming face of the Father, because the salvation that God offers us is the work of his mercy.鈥�

Advocate of the most vulnerable

The 杏MAP导航 notes that this Doctor of the Church was a 鈥渓istener,鈥� a teacher of mercy and a person who welcomed 鈥渢he fragility of the most spiritually abandoned men and women.鈥�

Allowing himself to be challenged by life itself, says the 杏MAP导航,  Saint Alphonsus was also an 鈥渁dvocate of the least, the fragile and those discarded by the society of his time.鈥�  

The path this Saint chose to tread, writes 杏MAP导航 Francis, led him to placing himself at the service of consciences that seek the way of goodness because of a faithful response to the call to God鈥檚 holiness.

Moral theologians

Following the example of Alphonsus, the 杏MAP导航 invites moral theologians, missionaries and confessors to enter into a living relationship with God's people and to look at life from their perspective "in order to understand the real difficulties they encounter and to help heal their wounds.鈥�

Looking again at the example of Saint Alphonsus, the renewer of moral theology, the 杏MAP导航 emphasizes that it is necessary to 鈥渁ccompany and support those most deprived of spiritual help on the path to redemption.鈥�

鈥淓vangelical radicalism should not be set against human weakness," he stresses, adding that  鈥渋t is always necessary to find a way that does not alienate, but brings hearts closer to God, just as Alphonsus did with his spiritual and moral teaching."

Promoting a moral maturity

Like this great Saint, writes the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渨e are called to go out to meet people as an apostolic community that follows the Redeemer among the abandoned.鈥�

He goes on to say that this 鈥済oing out to meet those who lack spiritual assistance, helps to overcome individualistic ethics and to promote a moral maturity capable of choosing true good.鈥�

 By forming responsible and merciful consciences, he says, 鈥渨e will have an adult Church capable of responding constructively to social fragilities, in view of the kingdom of heaven.鈥�

Challenges in society today

In the message, 杏MAP导航 Francis highlights the innumerable challenges society faces including: the pandemic and work in the post-Covid world, the care to be provided to all, the defense of life, the inputs that come to us from artificial intelligence, the safeguarding of creation, the anti-democratic threat and the urgency of brotherhood.

鈥淲oe to us if, in this evangelizing effort, we separate the "cry of the poor" from the "cry of the earth,鈥� he writes.

Moral theological reflection and pastoral action

Concluding his message, 杏MAP导航 Francis issues an invitation 鈥渢o go out to meet the fragile brothers and sisters of our society.鈥�

鈥淭his involves the development of moral theological reflection and pastoral action鈥�, he says, 鈥渃apable of committing oneself to the common good, which has its root in the proclamation of the kerygma, which has a firm word in defense of life, towards creation and towards brotherhood.鈥�