Pope Francis Highlights Unity, Inculturation, and Freedom in Catechesis on Saints Cyril and Methodius
During Wednesday’s general audience witnessed by Saints Cyril and Methodius, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of unity, inculturation, and freedom in spreading the Gospel. These two saints, known as the “Apostles of the Slavs,” preached the gospel in the languages of the people in the areas they visited. The Pope stressed the need for faith to be localized and culture to be evangelized.
St. Cyril and St. Methodius were born into aristocratic families in Greece in the ninth century. They abandoned their political careers and became hermits. Pope Francis introduced the two saints to the believers gathered in St. Peter’s Square during a public audience on October 25. He continued his catechesis on the theme of “Apostolic Zeal.”
The Pope mentioned that St. Cyril and St. Methodius were sent as missionaries to the Great Moravia region. They immersed themselves in the local culture and understood that they needed to employ specific tools to explain the Bible and Christianity to the people effectively. Saint Cyril once said, “Who can write a lecture on water?”. The Pope acknowledged that the spread of the Gospel required specific and appropriate tools, and thus, the brothers invented the Glagolitic alphabet and translated the Bible and liturgical texts. This made Christianity feel less foreign and more localized, expressing faith in the mother tongues of the people.
However, their initiative faced opposition from the Latins, who believed that only Hebrew, Greek, and Latin should be used to praise God. The Pope explained that this opposition stemmed from the fear of losing the privilege of preaching among the Slavs. Cyril strongly responded to these concerns, affirming that God wants every nation to praise Him in its own language. The brothers sought the Pope’s help, and he approved the liturgical books written in Slavic by Cyril and Methodius. The Pope even placed these books on the altar of the Basilica of Our Lady, encouraging the faithful to sing a song of praise to the Lord using these texts.
The spread of the Word of God among the Slavic peoples exemplified three aspects emphasized by the Pope. The first aspect is unity, as there were no divisions in European Christianity during that period, and the entire Church collaborated to spread the Gospel. The second aspect is localization, demonstrating the close connection between cultural evangelization and gospel localization. The Pope emphasized that the message of the Gospel cannot be preached in an abstract or distilled manner; it must be localized and expressed within a specific culture. The third aspect is freedom, which requires courage and the ability to overcome constraints that impede freedom.
In conclusion, Pope Francis invited all the faithful present to seek the intercession of Saints Cyril and Methodius, asking them to help us become instruments of love and freedom for others. Through prayer, service, creativity, perseverance, and humility, he urged the faithful to spread the Gospel and impact the lives of others.
Source: www.vaticannews.cn