Pope Francis proposes these three pieces of advice to confraternities 

On January 16, Pope Francis drew attention to the upcoming celebration of the Jubilee Year 2025, whose theme is “Pilgrims of Hope.” He proposed three pieces of advice to those who are part of confraternities. 

During an audience at the Vatican with representatives of the Confederation of Confraternities of the Dioceses of Italy, the Holy Father spoke of the Jubilee of 2025, noting that “we are preparing for this important moment in the life of the Church.” 

In his speech, the Pontiff noted that this confederation was founded in the Jubilee Year 2000 to “welcome, support and coordinate” the numerous confraternities in Italy.” 

At present, there are around 3,200 confraternities in Italy, with a total of approximately 2,000 members. 

Along these lines, Pope Francis underscored the importance of the Second Vatican Council, which in the Constitution Lumen Gentium refers to “the nature and mission” of the laity in the Church, “called by God to contribute, almost from within like leaven, to the sanctification of the world.” 

The Holy Father also recalled St. John Paul II, who in 1984 stressed the urgency of evangelization to “bring the light, redemption, and grace of Christ to the men and women of our time.” 

Francis also highlighted the timeliness of St. Paul VI’s Evangelii Nuntiandi, affirming that it is a “prophetic, apostolic exhortation, which helps us to go forward.” 

                                                                                           The Pope’s advice 

In this way, Pope Francis encouraged the confraternities to “allow themselves to be animated by the Holy Spirit and to walk, as they do in the processions.” Following that figure, he invited them to “organize their journey along three fundamental lines”: 

First, “to walk in the footsteps of Christ.” Hence the importance of being close to the Gospel, of placing Jesus Christ at the center, and of frequent recourse to the sacraments. 

Then, the Holy Father suggested they “walk together,” making use of community instruments of formation, discernment, and deliberation, as well as maintaining lively contact with the local Church. 

Thirdly, Pope Francis advised them to “walk proclaiming the Gospel,” witnessing to the faith and caring for their brothers and sisters, especially those who suffer from “the new poverties of our time. 

Pope Francis also encouraged not to fall into celebrations that are “nostalgic for the past, closed-minded in the face of the present or pessimistic about the future.” 

Finally, the Holy Father asked the faithful to reinvest the “spiritual, human, economic, artistic, historical and even folkloric heritage, open to the signs of the times and God’s surprises.”