At the end of today’s catechesis at the general audience, Pope Francis noted today’s feast of a Polish martyr.
“Today the liturgy remembers the blessed martyr Don Popieluszko,” he said to Polish faithful. “He personally expounded the cause of workers and their families, asking for justice and dignified living conditions, civil liberty and the religious freedom for his homeland. The words of St. Paul, ‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good’ were the motto of his ministry. May these words also be for all families and the Polish people today a challenge for building a just social order in the daily life, in the search for evangelical good.»
Related: A multi-part ZENIT interview with the martyr’s mom
The Holy Father affectionately greeted pilgrims from Slovakia, especially the parish groups and the Salesian Youth of Bratislava, noting that next Sunday will be World Missionary Day, “a valuable opportunity to reflect on the urgency of the missionary effort of the Church and of every Christian. We too are called to evangelise in the places where we live and work”.
His final greetings were reserved for the young, the ailing and newly-weds. “Today the liturgy celebrates St. Paul of the Cross, priest and founder of the Passionists,” he said. “Dear young people, especially those participating in the Festival of Diplomacy: may the meditation on the Passion of Jesus teach you the greatness of His love for others; dear sick, bear your cross in union with Christ to have relief in times of difficulty; and you, dear newly-weds, dedicated time to prayer, so that your married life may be a journey of Christian perfection.»
