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By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis ’ new document , Gaudete et Exsultate , shows that holiness is not an impossible task nor is it something to be pursued far removed from today ’ s world , said the papal vicar for the Diocese of Rome .
“ The pope wants to tell us that holiness is not something else apart from our everyday life , but it is exactly our ordinary existence lived in an extraordinary way ,” said Archbishop Angelo De Donatis , the papal vicar .
The archbishop was one of several guests invited to attend a Vatican news conference April 9 for the presentation of Pope Francis ’ new apostolic exhortation on the call to holiness in today ’ s world , titled in English , “ Rejoice and Be Glad .”
Many people in today ’ s secularized world may think holiness is “ antiquated ,” but the new document seeks to demonstrate its timeless relevance for everyone , the archbishop said .
Pope Francis is reminding Christians
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This is the cover of the English edition of Pope Francis ’ exhortation , Gaudete et Exsultate (“ Rejoice and Be Glad ”), on the “ call to holiness in today ’ s world .” The exhortation was released April 9 . ( CNS photo / Vatican Media )
that the desired goal of their journey is true life , joy , meaning and fullness found in Jesus with the help of divine grace and the action of the Holy Spirit received in baptism , he said .
“ To be Christians means to receive from God the gift of a beautiful life , a life rich in meaning and flavor ,” he said .
Officials of the Vatican press office invited individuals from different nations who reside in Rome to offer their impressions of the document .
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Deacon Adam Hincks , a Canadian Jesuit continuing his theological studies for the priesthood in Rome , told Catholic News Service that some features of Ignatian spirituality – referring to St . Ignatius , the Jesuit founder – shine through in the document .
“ For example , there ’ s the idea of being contemplatives in action , which is very Jesuit , finding God in the midst of your daily life , making your daily activity a place of sanctification ,” he said , as well as a call to do a “ daily examen ” to reflect at the end of each day to see “ where was God and how did I respond ?”
“ It ’ s something that ’ s very simple that any Christian can do and that really helps you to grow in holiness ,” he said .
Hincks , who is an astrophysicist specializing in the history of the universe , said he finds Gaudete et Exsultate to be “ very inspiring because this isn ’ t just for people wearing a collar or a habit , it ’ s for scientists , too , it ’ s for people who are doing whatever job , anyone can be holy ” by doing what they do with love : love for the truth , for God and one ’ s neighbor .
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Sister Josepha , a sister of the Monastic Fraternity of Jerusalem , told CNS that the document seeks to show people holiness is attainable and satisfies that hunger many people , especially young people , feel “ to live a relevant life , to give themselves , to improve the world .”
She said the document says , “ Go on ! You can . You will ! Start today with the small things around you . Holiness is not perfection ,” but building the kingdom of God with joy and in communion with others .
Mohammad Jawad Haidari , a Muslim and ethnic Hazara who fled from Afghanistan because of violent persecution and discrimination against this minority group , said holiness is common to both Muslims and Christians .
Holiness is “ as a path toward God ” with saints and prophets acting as signposts indicating the right way for the faithful to go , said Haidari , who earned a master ’ s degree in religion and cultural mediation while in Rome .
The pope ’ s document , he said , shows people that the path toward holiness is wide – meant for all people to journey , not just scholars or clerics .
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By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY – Naturally in a document on the Christian call to holiness , Pope Francis cited a heavenly host of saints – including some whose sainthood causes are ongoing and some who probably will never be canonized .
“ A great cloud of witnesses ,” he said , encourages each Christian to take steps toward holiness . “ These witnesses may include our own mothers , grandmothers or other loved ones ,” he wrote .
In Gaudete et Exsultate (“ Rejoice and Be Glad ”), the apostolic exhortation on holiness published April 9 , Pope Francis quoted a myriad of experts – canonized saints – on the striving for holiness but , like much of the document , many of those quotations offered very practical advice rather than lofty thoughts .
In a footnote about how saints are happy and usually have a good sense of humor , Pope France quoted a prayer attributed to the English martyr , Saint Thomas More :
“ Grant me , O Lord , good digestion , and also something to digest . Grant me a healthy body , and the necessary good humor to maintain it . Grant me a simple soul that knows to treasure all that is good and that doesn ’ t frighten easily at the sight of evil , but rather
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finds the means to put things back in their place . Give me a soul that knows not boredom , grumbling , sighs and laments , nor excess of stress , because of that obstructing thing called ‘ I .’ Grant me , O Lord , a sense of good humor . Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke and to discover in life a bit of joy , and to be able to share it with others .”
Saint Ignatius of Loyola , the founder of the Jesuits , appeared repeatedly in the document , as did Saint Francis of Assisi , Saint Teresa of Kolkata , Saint Teresa of Avila , Saint Therese of Lisieux and Saint John Paul II .
But Pope Francis also highlighted advice from the late Vietnamese Cardinal Francois-Xavier Nguyen van Thuan , whom the pope declared venerable in 2017 . The Vietnamese cardinal had spent 13 years in prison under his country ’ s communist regime – nine of those years in solitary confinement .
In the new document , Pope Francis said that during his time his prison , the cardinal “ refused to waste time waiting for the day he would be set free . Instead , he chose ‘ to live the present moment , filling it to the brim with love .’ He decided : ‘ I will seize the occasions that present themselves every day ; I will accomplish ordinary actions in an extraordinary way .’”
Pope Francis also referred in the document to the “ witness borne by
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Vietnamese Cardinal Francois Nguyen Van Thuan is pictured at the Vatican in this 2001 file photo . Pope Francis cited the late cardinal in Gaudete et Exsultate (“ Rejoice and Be Glad ”), the apostolic exhortation on holiness published April 9 . ( CNS photo / L ’ Osservatore Romano via EPA )
the Trappists of Tibhirine , Algeria , who prepared as a community for martyrdom .” In 1996 , the monks were kidnapped from their monastery and beheaded by a group of terrorists trained by the al-Qaida network . The monks ’ story was treated in the film “ Of Gods and Men .”
In January , the pope signed a decree formally recognizing the monks ’ death as martyrdom ; the announcement of a date and place for their beatification is expected soon .
The pope ’ s homage to the Trappist martyrs is part of a section on the importance of being part of a community , supporting and challenging one another . “ Growth in holiness is
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a journey in community , side by side with others ,” he wrote .
Such sharing works not only for the famous , formally canonized saints , he said . “ In many holy marriages , too , each spouse becomes a means used by Christ for the sanctification of the other . Living or working alongside others is surely a path of spiritual growth .”
Holy spouses would have the advantage of knowing a saint and would probably agree with Pope Francis ’ observation about the holy ones : “ Their lives may not always have been perfect , yet even amid their faults and failings they kept moving forward and proved pleasing to the Lord .”
The pope encouraged Catholics to draw what inspiration they find useful from the lives of saints , but also said it is not a good idea to try to copy them exactly because that could “ lead us astray from the one specific path that the Lord has in mind for each of us .”
And , he cautioned , devotion to a particular saint should never be slavish .
“ Not everything a saint says is completely faithful to the Gospel ; not everything he or she does is authentic or perfect ,” the pope wrote . “ What we need to contemplate is the totality of their life , their entire journey of growth in holiness , the reflection of Jesus Christ that emerges when we grasp their overall meaning as a person .”
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