Free Pope Francis in the Philippines by Pope Francis Page B

wholeness and healing to our broken world . It can inspire the building of a truly just and redeemed social order . To be an ambassador for Christ means above all to invite everyone to a renewed personal encounter with the Lord Jesus ( Evangelii Gaudium , 3). This invitation must be at the core of your commemoration of the evangelization of the Philippines . But the Gospel is also a summons to conversion , to an examination of our consciences , as individuals and as a people . As the Bishops of the Philippines have rightly taught , the Church in the Philippines is called to acknowledge and combat the causes of the deeply rooted inequality and injustice which mar the face of Filipino society , plainly contradicting the teaching of Christ . The Gospel calls individual Christians to live lives of honesty , integrity and concern for the common good . But it also calls Christian communities to create “ circles of integrity ”, networks of solidarity which can expand to embrace and transform society by their prophetic witness . As ambassadors for Christ , we , bishops , priests and religious , ought to be the first to welcome his reconciling grace into our hearts . Saint Paul makes clear what this means . It means rejecting worldly perspectives and seeing all things anew in the light of Christ . It means being the first to examine our consciences , to acknowledge our failings and sins , and to embrace the path of constant conversion . How can we proclaim the newness and liberating power of the Cross to others , if we ourselves refuse to allow the word of God to shake our complacency , our fear of change , our petty compromises with the ways of this world , our “ spiritual worldliness ” ( cf . Evangelii Gaudium , 93)? For us priests and consecrated persons , conversion to the newness of the Gospel entails a daily encounter with the Lord in prayer . The saints teach us that this is the source of all apostolic zeal ! For religious , living the newness of the Gospel also means finding ever anew in community life and community apostolates the incentive for an ever closer union with the Lord in perfect charity . For all of us , it means living lives that reflect the poverty of Christ , whose entire life was focused on doing the will of the Father and serving others . The great danger to this , of course , is a certain materialism which can creep into our lives and compromise the witness we offer . Only by becoming poor ourselves , by stripping away our complacency , will we be able to identify with the least of our brothers and sisters . We will see things in a new light and thus respond with honesty and integrity to the challenge of proclaiming the radicalism of the Gospel in a society which has grown comfortable with social exclusion , polarization and scandalous inequality . Here I would like to address a special word to the young priests , religious and seminarians among us . I ask you to share the joy and enthusiasm of your love for Christ and the Church with everyone , but especially with your peers . Be present to young people who may be confused and despondent , yet continue to see the Church as their friend on the journey and a source of hope . Be present to those who , living in the midst of a society burdened by poverty and corruption , are broken in spirit , tempted to give up , to leave school and to live on the streets . Proclaim the beauty and truth of the Christian message to a society which is tempted by confusing presentations of sexuality , marriage and the family . As you know , these realities are increasingly under attack from powerful forces which threaten to disfigure God ’ s plan for creation and betray the very values which have inspired and shaped all that is best in your culture . Filipino culture has , in fact , been shaped by the imagination of faith . Filipinos everywhere are known for their love of God , their fervent piety and their warm devotion to Our Lady and her rosary . This great heritage