Pope Francis delivers his Angelus address in St. Peter's Square on Jan. 15, 2023. / Vatican Media Vatican City, Jan 15, 2023 / 06:17 am (CNA). In his Angelus address on Sunday, Pope Francis encouraged Christians to cultivate the virtue of knowing “how to step aside” in order to bear witness to Jesus, as St. John the Baptist did.The pope also announced that an ecumenical prayer vigil will take place in St. Peter’s Square as part of the Church’s ongoing Synod on Synodality.Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace on Jan. 15, the pope shared lessons from St. John the Baptist’s “spirit of service.”Pope Francis said that St. John was “not interested in having a following for himself, in gaining prestige and success, but he bears witness and then steps back, so that many may have the joy of meeting Jesus.”He reflected on St. John’s words after baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River: “‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.” (John 1: 29-30).“This declaration, this testimony, reveals John’s spirit of service,” the pope said. “Humanly speaking, one would think that he would be given a ‘prize,’ a prominent place in Jesus’ public life. But no. John, having accomplished his mission, knows how to step aside, he withdraws from the scene to make way for Jesus.”In this way, St. John the Baptist teaches “freedom from attachments” and “gratuitousness, taking care of others without benefit for oneself,” he said.“Because it is easy to become attached to roles and positions, to the need to be esteemed, recognized and rewarded,” the pope reflected. “It is good for us, too, to cultivate, like John, the virtue of setting ourselves aside at the right moment, bearing witness that the point of reference of life is Jesus.”The crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square to hear Pope Francis deliver his Angelus address on Jan. 15, 2023. Vatican MediaPope Francis recommended self-reflection on the following questions: “Do we attract others to Jesus, or to ourselves? And furthermore, following the example of John: Do we know how to rejoice in the fact that people take their own path and follow their calling, even if this entails some detachment from us? Do we rejoice in their achievements with sincerity and without envy?”At the end of his general audience, Pope Francis announced that an ecumenical prayer vigil will take place in St. Peter’s Square on Sept. 30, 2023, as part of the Church’s ongoing Synod on Synodality.The ecumenical prayer vigil, organized by the Taizé Community, will “entrust to God the work of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops,” set to take place in two sessions from Oct. 4 to 29, 2023, and in October 2024. “Starting now, I invite our brothers and sisters of all Christian denominations to participate in this gathering of the People of God,” the pope said.Pope Francis also highlighted the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which will begin this week on Jan.

Pope Francis met with seminarians, staff, and faculty of the Ponitifical North American College in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace on Jan. 14, 2023. / Vatican Media Vatican City, Jan 14, 2023 / 09:45 am (CNA). Pope Francis told American seminarians in Rome that they are called to take up the “challenge and task” of the synodal journey — of listening to the Holy Spirit and to one another — as they study to become priests.The pope met with students, staff, and faculty of the Pontifical North American College (NAC) at the Vatican on the morning of Jan. 14.“Your time here in Rome,” he said, “coincides with the synodal journey that the whole Church is presently undertaking, a journey that involves listening, to the Holy Spirit and to one another, in order to discern how to help God’s holy people live his gift of communion and become missionary disciples.”“This is also the challenge and task you are called to take up as you walk together along the path that leads to priestly ordination and pastoral service,” the pope said in the Apostolic Palace.Pope Francis met with seminarians, staff, and faculty of the Ponitifical North American College in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace on Jan. 14, 2023. Vatican MediaThe Pontifical North American College, founded in 1859, hosts seminarians and priests from the United States and Australia as they complete studies in Rome. Faculty and staff include priests, religious sisters, and lay people.During the private audience, Francis also encouraged the seminarians to foster a daily relationship with Jesus by spending time in silence before the Eucharist.“Over the course of your lives, and especially throughout this time of seminary formation, the Lord enters into a personal dialogue with you, asking what you are looking for and inviting you to ‘come and see,’ to speak with him from your hearts and give yourselves to him confidently in faith and love,” Pope Francis said.“Doing so involves fostering a daily relationship with Jesus, one nourished especially by prayer, meditation on the word of God, the help of spiritual accompaniment, and listening to him in silence before the tabernacle,” he underlined. “Always remember this: listening in silence before the tabernacle.”Pope Francis met with seminarians, staff, and faculty of the Ponitifical North American College in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace on Jan. 14, 2023. Vatican MediaThe pope invited the seminarians to use their years in Rome to see the mystery of the unity of the Church, in which diverse people live the oneness of the faith.“It is my hope that these experiences will help you develop that fraternal love capable of seeing the grandeur of our neighbor, of finding God in every human being, of tolerating the nuisances of life in common,” he said.“For it is in these moments of familiar relationship with the Lord,” he continued, “that we can best hear his voice and discover how to serve him and his people generously and wholeheartedly.”

Cardinal George Pell's coffin in front of some of the cardinals who concelebrated his funeral Mass on Jan. 14, 2023 / Alan Koppschall/CNA Vatican City, Jan 14, 2023 / 07:50 am (CNA). Catholics traveled from near and far to attend the funeral Mass of Cardinal George Pell in St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday.The Australian cardinal died in Rome Jan. 10 from a cardiac arrest following a hip surgery. He was 81.His Jan. 14 funeral, held at the Altar of the Chair, was filled to capacity, with extra chairs added at the last minute to accommodate people standing as far back as the Vatican basilica’s main altar.Cardinal George Pell's funeral in St. Peter's Basilica on Jan. 14, 2023. Vatican Media“A man of God and a man of the Church, he was characterized by a deep faith and great steadfastness of doctrine, which he always defended without hesitation and with courage, concerned only with being faithful to Christ,” Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re said about Pell in his homily for the funeral.“As he noted many times, the weakening of faith in the Western world and the moral crisis of the family grieved him,” Re said. “To God, who is good and rich in mercy, we entrust this brother of ours, praying that God will welcome him into the peace and intimacy of his love.”Pell’s brother, David Pell, and cousin Chris Meney, together with other family members, priests, and religious, traveled from Australia to be at the funeral.Cardinal George Pell's funeral Mass beginning now. Pell's brother, David, is seated near the front.(📷 Alan Koppschall/CNA) pic.twitter.com/WCOTHv8d8H— Hannah Brockhaus (@HannahBrockhaus) January 14, 2023 Michael Casey, Pell’s former secretary who now works at the Australian Catholic University, was also in attendance.From Rome, Holy See diplomats, students, and priests, also came to pray for Pell’s repose. Seminarians of the Pontifical North American College attended the funeral Mass immediately following their audience with Pope Francis the same morning.American author George Weigel, a longtime friend of Cardinal Pell, traveled from the United States for the funeral.The Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the deacon of the College of Cardinals, and concelebrated by cardinals and bishops.Pell’s private secretary during his years in Rome, Father Joseph Hamilton, and archbishop Georg Gänswein, the longtime secretary of Pope Benedict XVI, also concelebrated.Archbishop Georg Gänswein concelebrates the funeral Mass of Cardinal George Pell on Jan. 14, 2023. Alan Koppschall/CNAPope Francis arrived at the end of the Mass to perform the rite of final commendation and farewell, as is his custom for the funeral of a cardinal.“May God unite his soul with those of all the saints and faithful departed,” the pope prayed. “May he be given a merciful judgement so that, redeemed from death, freed from punishment, reconciled to the Father, carried in the arms of the Good Shepherd, he may deserve to enter fully into everlasting happiness in the company of the eternal King together with all the saints.”Pope Francis presided over the Final Commendation and Farewell at the end of Cardinal

Cardinal George Pell. / Matthew Rarey Rome Newsroom, Jan 13, 2023 / 13:05 pm (CNA). A Catholic journalist from Italy revealed Wednesday that Cardinal George Pell, who died on Jan. 10, had been the author of a controversial memo about the next papal election.The anonymous memo was circulated among cardinals during Lent last year and made public by Sandro Magister on March 15, 2022.Magister, a longtime Vatican journalist, revealed the identity of the document’s author on Jan. 11, the day after Pell’s death from a cardiac arrest at the age of 81.In an article about the Australian cardinal’s “last writings,” Magister wrote on his blog “Settimo Cielo” that “Pell was the author of that memorandum, signed ‘Demos,’ which was very critical of the pontificate of Francis.”The funeral Mass of the Australian cardinal will be held in St. Peter’s Basilica on Jan. 14. Pope Francis will preside over the rites of final commendation and farewell, as he does for all cardinals who die in Rome.Magister’s disclosure sparked a backlash against Pell on social media.“Like Jesus, Francis’s love and mercy draw out bad spirits of disdain and rigidity. You saw it, sad to say, in Pell RIP,” tweeted Catholic journalist and Pope Francis biographer Austen Ivereigh.But at least one friend of Pell’s, Jesuit Father Joseph Fessio, founder and editor of Ignatius Press, voiced skepticism that Pell was the author of the memo.“I think it’s just pure speculation as to whether he’s the author or not,” Fessio said Jan. 12 on EWTN’s “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo.” “He’s said enough things publicly that we can understand what his views were on these things. I will take a sed contra on this. George Pell was a loyal son of the Church. He would not publicly criticize the Holy Father, and I doubt that he would put his signature to something, even anonymously, that would be public criticism.”The memo on a future conclave described Pope Francis’ pontificate as a “disaster” and listed ways the author thought the pope had caused confusion on important issues in the Church.The document’s author also laid out what it considered to be grave problems in the Vatican, including financial, legal, and doctrinal issues, before outlining the qualities needed in the next pope.“The Vatican’s political prestige is now at a low ebb,” the memorandum said.The critical tone of the memo is matched by a more recent writing by Pell, published posthumously by the British magazine The Spectator.The article, which calls Pope Francis’ three-year-long Synod on Synodality a “toxic nightmare,” was published on Jan. 11.An associate editor of the magazine, Damian Thompson, described the article as Pell’s “last public statement,” though he did not know he was about to die when writing it and “was prepared to face the fury of Pope Francis and the [synod] organisers when it was published.”

Cardinal George Pell gives an interview to EWTN News at his home in Rome in December 2020. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA Rome Newsroom, Jan 12, 2023 / 13:00 pm (CNA). Cardinal George Pell arrived in Rome on Sept. 30, 2020, in the midst of Vatican financial scandals and the immediate aftermath of the resignation of his once-rival, Cardinal Angelo Becciu.Pell returned to the Eternal City after defending himself against abuse charges in his home country of Australia for three years. In April 2020, Australia’s High Court overturned his conviction and ordered his immediate release from jail.After more than a year behind bars, Pell’s time in Rome was marked by a level of activity impressive for a man entering his eighth decade of life.The Australian cardinal published three volumes of his prison journals. He had interviews, lunches, and speaking engagements in Rome and abroad. He did not neglect prayer, either, in what ended up being the last two years and three months of his life.Cardinal George Pell arrives at his Rome apartment, one block from the Vatican, on Sept. 30, 2020. Daniel Ibanez/CNAShortly after his return to Rome, he could be seen at the entrance of the Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia, where he had come to the parish’s regular eucharistic adoration, prayer journal in hand.He could be spotted regularly, in the two years that followed, on the streets around the church and his apartment, one block from the Vatican.One time, when a reporter stopped to introduce herself to his personal secretary, the young priest had to run to catch up with the gentle giant, lumbering, walking stick in hand, about 300 feet ahead.“We’re late for adoration,” the winded Father Joseph Hamilton explained.Pope Francis received the exonerated cardinal — his former finance chief — on Oct. 12, 2020, at the Vatican.In January 2021 Pell spoke in a webinar about financial transparency in the Catholic Church, welcoming Pope Francis’ inclusion of laywomen on the Vatican’s economy council.He said he hoped “clear-headed” women would help “sentimental males” do the right thing concerning Church finances.The former head of the Archdiocese of Sydney and Diocese of Melbourne, Pell also met frequently with the priests of Australia living and studying in Rome.Father Michael Kong, 39, met Pell in 2021. He told CNA he saw the cardinal about once a month or so together with other Australian priests. Pell also attended functions at the Australian embassy.Father Michael Kong at lunch with Cardinal George Pell in summer 2022. Credit: Father Michael KongKong described Pell as a pastor, father, and friend.“He was very friendly and he always asked me how I was doing,” the priest said. “He always asked me about my opinion on certain issues and media and things.”The Melbourne priest is studying Church communications at Rome’s University of the Holy Cross.He said for the Australian priests in Rome, Pell was “a good pastor, a good shepherd, a spiritual father, or even a grandfather.”Kong said the cardinal was always kind to the random people who would approach

Cardinal George Pell leads Eucharistic adoration and a Eucharistic procession at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome on May 18, 2021. / Daniel Ibanez/CNA Vatican City, Jan 12, 2023 / 03:38 am (CNA). The funeral Mass of Cardinal George Pell will be held in St. Peter’s Basilica at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14, the Vatican announced Thursday.Pell, the prefect emeritus of the Secretariat for the Economy, died suddenly in Rome on Jan. 10 at the age of 81.The funeral will be celebrated at the Altar of the Chair by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the deacon of the College of Cardinals, with other cardinals and bishops concelebrating.Pope Francis will preside over the rite of Final Commendation and Farewell.Following the funeral, Pell’s body will be brought back to Australia, where he will be buried in St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney.A towering figure of the Church both physically and intellectually, Pell served for many years as archbishop of Melbourne and then Sydney before Pope Francis appointed him to lead the Vatican’s economy department in 2014.Pope Francis praised the Australian cardinal’s witness, dedication, and faith in a condolence message on Jan. 11.The pope said he recalled “with a grateful heart his consistent and committed witness, his dedication to the Gospel and the Church, and particularly his diligent cooperation with the Holy See in the context of its recent economic reform, of which he laid the foundations with determination and wisdom.”George Pell was born on June 8, 1941, in Ballarat, a town in Victoria, to an English-born Anglican father and a devout Catholic mother of Irish descent. Pell was ordained a priest for the diocese in 1966. He was made an auxiliary bishop of Melbourne in 1987, and nine years later he was named archbishop of Melbourne.In 2001 he was appointed archbishop of Sydney, where he served until being appointed by Pope Francis to take charge of the newly created Secretariat for the Economy and to lead efforts at reforming Vatican financial affairs in 2014.The Australian was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in October 2003, while he was archbishop of Sydney. Ten years later, Pope Francis appointed Pell a member of his Council of Cardinals, and the year after, he put him in charge of Vatican finances.In 2017, Pell left Rome for Australia to defend his innocence of abuse charges. After 404 days in prison he was ultimately acquitted in 2020. He returned to live in Rome on Sept. 30, 2020, his first visit back to the city since his trial and imprisonment.Cardinal Pell’s prison journal, written while he was in solitary confinement, is being published in three volumes. He has said he could not offer Mass in jail because he was not allowed access to wine for use in the consecration.In 2021, Pell turned 80 years old, losing his eligibility to vote in a future papal conclave.

null / Daniel Ibáñez/CNA. Rome Newsroom, Jan 11, 2023 / 12:48 pm (CNA). In the latest book by Archbishop Georg Gänswein, for 20 years personal secretary to Pope Benedict XVI, there is much more than bitterness at having been made a “halved prefect” by Pope Francis.Indeed, while the hype surrounding the publication has focused on that particular situation — the removal of Gänswein as prefect of the papal household — and has characterized Gänswein as willing to seek tension, almost to place one pontificate against the other, the book offers much more than that.In fact, perhaps its most precious content is the excerpts from the homilies that Benedict XVI gave in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, where he spent the last years of his life.Those homilies are probably the most innovative element of the book, which Gänswein wrote with journalist Saverio Gaeta. Titled “Nothing but the Truth: My Life Beside Benedict XVI,” the book comes out in Italian on Jan. 12, but CNA was able to preview it.As long as his voice allowed him, Benedict XVI personally prepared the homilies, with notes written in pencil in a notebook that would then serve as a guideline for what he would say. They were simple, precise, straight-to-the-point homilies that the four Memores Domini (the consecrated laywomen of Communion and Liberation) who served as Benedict XVI’s family recorded and transcribed.Only a few could listen to some of those homilies because Benedict XVI rarely received people, so the report of those homilies is an invaluable treasure.What else can be found in the book? First, of course, there is Gänswein’s open anger and surprise at being abruptly relieved of his post as prefect of the papal household by Pope Francis, without any explanation.Other previews spoke of Benedict XVI’s bitterness in learning about Traditionis custodes, Pope Francis’ apostolic letter with which he overturned the former pope’s decisions to expand the celebration of the ancient Mass.However “juicy” these details may be for the media, they are certainly not the most novel element of the book.Without diplomatic filters, using the straightforward language that those who know him are used to hearing, Gänswein outlines various interesting and partially unpublished situations. These include: the case of the book by Cardinal Robert Sarah, which named Benedict XVI as co-author; contacts with Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio before and after he became pope; the long letter that Benedict XVI wrote to Pope Francis to comment on his first interview granted to La Civiltà Cattolica in 2013, and a new details about how Benedict's decision to renounce the pontificate came about.The book offers insights to these stories and others through the eyes of a direct witness. It should be understood as a memorial, not an indictment. It provides a faithful account of situations and stories as Gänswein experienced them. The resignationIn some cases, new facts are given and previously known accounts are presented in a different light. One example is Gänswein's explanation for why Benedict XVI placed the pallium on the tomb of St. Celestine V,

Cardinal George Pell / Daniel Ibanez/CNA Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 11, 2023 / 08:30 am (CNA). Australian Cardinal George Pell died Tuesday in Rome at age 81 after suffering a cardiac arrest following a routine hip replacement surgery, his secretary confirmed to EWTN.Church leaders in Australia reacted with sadness and shock at the news of Pell’s death. “May eternal light now be his, who so steadfastly believed in the God of Jesus Christ,” Comensoli wrote on Twitter.At his general audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis praised Pell’s dedication to the Church. “I offer sentiments of heartfelt condolence,” the pope said in a Jan. 11 message, “remembering with a grateful heart his consistent and committed witness, his dedication to the Gospel and the Church, and particularly his diligent cooperation with the Holy See in the context of its recent economic reform, of which he laid the foundations with determination and wisdom.”The prime minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, said a memorial Mass will be held for Pell at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, where he will be buried, according to Sky News Australia.Pell’s funeral Mass will be held at the Vatican. The date has not yet been announced.Pell, prefect emeritus of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy, recently remembered Pope Benedict XVI during an EWTN News In Depth Interview shortly after the late pope's death.The Australian was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in October 2003, while he was archbishop of Sydney. Ten years later, Pope Francis appointed Pell a member of his Council of Cardinals, and the year after, he put him in charge of Vatican finances.In 2017, Pell left Rome for Australia to defend his innocence of abuse charges. After 404 days in prison he was ultimately acquitted in 2020. He returned to live in Rome on Sept. 30, 2020, his first visit back to the city since his trial and imprisonment.Below are photos of Pell throughout his time as cardinal.Newly appointed Cardinal George Pell of Australia kisses Pope John Paul II's hand in St. Peter's Square Oct. 21, 2003, at the Vatican during the ordination ceremony of new cardinals. Photo by PAOLO COCCO/AFP via Getty ImagesPope Benedict XVI and Cardinal George Pell smile at one another while thanking all the volunteers at The Domain on July 21, 2008, in Sydney, Australia. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesCardinal George Pell, archbishop of Sydney, unveils Australia's first pure gold (L) and silver (R) coins commemorating the canonization of Mary MacKillop in Sydney on Sept. 30, 2010. Photo by TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP via Getty ImagesAustralian Cardinal George Pell (R) and Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze arrive for a meeting on the eve of the start of a conclave on March 11, 2013, at the Vatican. Photo by JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty ImagesAustralian Cardinal George Pell as prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy of the Holy See attends a press conference on March 31, 2014, at the Vatican. Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty ImagesCardinal George Pell leaves the opening session of the Synod on the

Pope Francis receives Cardinal George Pell in a private audience at the Vatican Oct. 12, 2020. / Vatican Media. Rome Newsroom, Jan 11, 2023 / 05:32 am (CNA). Pope Francis has praised the witness, dedication, and faith of Cardinal George Pell, who died in Rome on Tuesday at the age of 81.“I offer sentiments of heartfelt condolence,” the pope said in a Jan. 11 message, “remembering with a grateful heart his consistent and committed witness, his dedication to the Gospel and the Church, and particularly his diligent cooperation with the Holy See in the context of its recent economic reform, of which he laid the foundations with determination and wisdom.”Pell, prefect emeritus of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy, suffered a cardiac arrest and died at 8:50 p.m. Rome time on Jan. 10, following a routine hip replacement surgery, his secretary confirmed to EWTN.Pope Francis’ telegram expressed his sorrow at the Australian prelate’s death, and assured Pell’s brother, David Pell, of his sympathy.“I raise prayers of suffrage so that this faithful servant, who without wavering followed his Lord with perseverance even in his hour of trial, may be welcomed into the joy of heaven and receive the reward of eternal peace,” the pope said.The prime minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, said a memorial Mass will be held for Pell at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, where he will be buried, according to Sky News Australia.The bells of St. Mary’s Cathedral tolled 81 times on Jan. 11 to mark the cardinal’s death. Pell’s funeral Mass will be held at the Vatican. The date has not yet been announced.Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney said Jan. 11 his predecessor “will be remembered as a courageous leader who inspired so many clergy and lay faithful around the world to proclaim Christ crucified, risen and with us still.”“Cardinal Pell’s episcopal motto was ‘Be Not Afraid’ and through good days and bad, he lived up to these words as a man of courage and with a big heart, who trusted in divine providence,” Fisher said.The archbishop said he was grateful to have had an opportunity to see Pell at the funeral of Pope Benedict XVI in Rome on Jan. 5.The former archbishop of Sydney “fearlessly proclaimed the Gospel and worked to explain the teachings of the Church,” Fisher said. “He spoke truth as he found it, however difficult or unpopular. He was also a man of prayer, of deep Christian faith and a loving shepherd to his flock in parishes, schools, hospitals, and throughout his dioceses.”

Pope Francis stops to pray before an image of Our Lady and the Child Jesus during his weekly general audience on Jan. 11, 2023. / Daniel Ibanez/CNA Vatican City, Jan 11, 2023 / 04:00 am (CNA). We do not have to be perfect already to live in a way that gives witness to Christ and attracts others to him, Pope Francis said on Wednesday.At his weekly public audience on Jan. 11, Francis reflected on Jesus’ calling of St. Matthew, then a tax collector, to follow him as one of his Twelve Apostles.“Here is the message for us: we do not have to wait until we are perfect and have come a long way following Jesus to witness to him; no, our proclamation begins today, there where we live,” he said.Pope Francis smiles with two religious sisters during his general audience on Jan. 11, 2023. Vatican MediaSpeaking in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall, Pope Francis emphasized that evangelization and proselytism are not the same.“And it does not begin by trying to convince others, but by witnessing every day to the beauty of the Love that has looked upon us and lifted us up,” he said.Francis recalled a line from a homily given by Pope Benedict XVI at a meeting of Latin American and Caribbean bishops in Aparecida, Brazil, in 2007: “The Church does not engage in proselytism. Instead, she grows by ‘attraction.’”“Do not forget this,” Pope Francis added, calling Christians who proselytize “pagans dressed as Christians.”Pope Francis greets an elderly couple at his general audience on Jan. 11, 2023. Vatican MediaThe pope’s general audience message was the first in a new series of catechesis, or teachings, on apostolic zeal.“It is a vital dimension for the Church,” he explained. “It can happen, however, that the apostolic ardor, the desire to reach others with the good news of the Gospel, diminishes.”“When Christian life loses sight of the horizon of proclamation, it grows sick,” he continued, “it closes in on itself, becomes self-referential, it becomes atrophied. Without apostolic zeal, faith withers. Mission, on the other hand, is the oxygen of Christian life: It invigorates and purifies it.”The pope said the way in which Jesus called St. Matthew to leave his former life behind is an example for Christians today.Pope Francis speaks to a family during his general audience on Jan. 11, 2023. Vatican MediaHe recalled that Matthew, as a tax collector for the Roman empire, would have been viewed by others as a “publican” and a traitor to the people.“But in the eyes of Jesus, Matthew is a man, with both his miseries and his greatness,” he said.Jesus, Francis emphasized, does not see someone as the “adjectives” that are used to describe him or her, but as a person.“We can ask ourselves: How do we look upon others? How often do we see their faults and not their needs; how often do we label people by what they do or think?” he said. “Even as Christians we say to ourselves: Is he one of