Pope Leo calls on all to never cease to bring consolation to those being persecuted for their faith, as he thanks the Order of Friars Minor Conventual and Trinitarians on the occasion of their General Chapters.
“Never forget those persecuted for their faith, and never cease your efforts to bring them consolation”, Pope Leo XIV made this appeal when receiving religious of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (Conventual Franciscans) and the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives (Trinitarians), on the occasion of their respective General Chapters recently in the Vatican.
In his remarks, the Holy Father commended them for their faith, their work abroad, and their closeness to those lacking religious freedom in those regions of the world.
The Pope recalled that the Trinitarians have chosen to focus on bringing consolation to those who cannot live their faith freely, remembering that over these past months, they have prayed about this desire, following the words of Saint Paul: “Persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:9), which, he acknowledged, inspire the theme of their chapter.
“I join in this prayer and also ask God the Trinity that one of the fruits of your assembly be to never cease remembering in your prayers and in your daily efforts those who are persecuted for their faith.”
That part referring to the persecuted, according to the teaching of Saint Augustine, Pope Leo underscored, “is the portion that belongs to God and defines the vocation of the liberator of His people.”
“Moreover, this orientation toward the members of the Church who suffer the most,” the Holy Father said, “will draw the attention of vocations, of the faithful, and of people of good will to this reality, and will keep you available for the frontier services that you carry out in the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, Africa, and the Indian subcontinent.”
