In a context in which the Church faces the challenge of maintaining the balance between Christian obedience to the superior and the prevention of abuses of power and conscience, Pope Leo XIV courageously emphasized the profound value of the vow of obedience during an audience with members of various religious orders.
"Obedience, in its deepest meaning of active and generous listening to others, is a great act of love by which we accept to die to ourselves so that our brothers and sisters may grow and live," the Pontiff said Sept. 18, addressing the leaders of the Ursuline Sisters of Mary Immaculate, the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, the Marists and the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.
The Pope expressed his desire to reflect on "the vital importance of obedience as an act of love in religious consecration. Jesus gave us an example of this in his relationship with the Father: 'I seek not my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
Going against the current
Recalling St. Augustine, the Pope pointed out that this great Father of the Church defined obedience as "the daughter of charity". He also stressed that, although today it may be unpopular to speak of obedience because it is interpreted as a renunciation of freedom, this perception is erroneous.
"To speak of obedience is not very fashionable today because it is considered a renunciation of freedom," the Pope said. But this is not so. When professed and lived in faith, obedience reveals a luminous path of self-giving that can help the world rediscover the value of sacrifice, the capacity for lasting relationships and maturity in community that goes beyond the feelings of the moment, establishing itself in fidelity."
He concluded by affirming that "Obedience is a school of freedom in love," encouraging the orders present to rediscover the spiritual richness of this commitment in community and ecclesial life.
Español 
English 
Italiano