THE HOOK OF FAITH WELCOMES POPE LEO XIV!

Dear friends. With the whole Church we rejoice on the election of our new Pope Leo XIV. We unite to pray for him as he begins his ministry as the 267th successor of St Peter. Here are his first words to the Church and the world, spoken from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica:

'Dearest brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for God's flock. I too would like this greeting of peace to enter your heart, to reach your families, to all people, wherever they are, to all peoples, to the whole earth. Peace be with you!'

Speaking in an interview shortly after his selection as head of the Congregation for Bishops, he responded with the following when asked about the importance of evangelisation:

'Let us go back to World Youth Day in Lisbon. There I had the privilege of accompanying Pope Francis and was able to see thousands of young people looking for experiences that would help them live their faith. First of all, our priority cannot be to look for vocations. Our priority has to be to live the good news, to live the Gospel, to share the enthusiasm that can be born in our hearts and in our lives when we truly discover who Jesus Christ is. When we stay walking with Christ, in communion with one another, in that friendship with the Lord and understanding how great it is to have received that gift, vocations come. It is true that in some parts of the world right now, for various reasons, there are fewer vocations than in the past. And while, of course, it is a concern, I don't think it is the main one. If we learn to live our faith better and learn to invite and include others in the life of the Church, especially the young, some vocations will still come to us. Moreover, I think we have to see the lay person as a lay person. It is one of the many gifts that has evolved over the last few years: discovering that they have a very important role in the Church'.

May the 'Hook of Faith' continue to draw its energy and life from our desire to proclaim Christ as the final hope for the world!!