Pope Francis And His Postcards from the South

First of all, one might feel a little jealous. When this pope, who has never crossed the Alps in more than six years, wants to say a prayer in our [French] language, he goes... to Madagascar.

When he wants to pay tribute to a figure of French Catholicism, he goes... to Mauritius, where one of our blessed is worshipped.

Father Jacques-Désiré Laval "learned the language of the recently liberated slaves and taught them in a simple way the Good News of salvation," François recalled, evoking the "missionary dynamism" of the Norman Holy Ghost Father, born in 1803.

Let us add that, when he goes to Mozambique, the Pope visits a medical centre founded by our friends in the community of Sant'Egidio.

What about us, then? We Christians in France, who labour, doubt, struggle, do we not also need to be encouraged where we are? Should we be satisfied with Pontifical postcards from the south?

From an editorial by Jean-Pierre Denis, published on September 10 on LaVie.Fr.

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mystic

Sep 12, 2019

Lif'shard.
and he answering said to the father, Lo, so many years I do serve thee, and never thy command did I transgress, and to me thou didst never give a kid, that with my friends I might make merry; but when thy son -- this one who did devour thy living with harlots -- came, thou didst kill to him the fatted calf. `And he said to him, Child, thou art always with me, and all my things are thine …More

Lif'shard.

and he answering said to the father, Lo, so many years I do serve thee, and never thy command did I transgress, and to me thou didst never give a kid, that with my friends I might make merry; but when thy son -- this one who did devour thy living with harlots -- came, thou didst kill to him the fatted calf. `And he said to him, Child, thou art always with me, and all my things are thine; but to be merry, and to be glad, it was needful, because this thy brother was dead, and did live again, he was lost, and was found.'