2024-02-10 18:01:55
Pope Francis has praised the passion for evangelization of Argentina’s new saint, Mama Antula. She gave Ignatian retreats in the 18th century because the Jesuits were oppressed in their time, emphasized Francis, who himself belongs to the Jesuit order. He spoke Friday at an audience for Argentine pilgrims who traveled to Rome for the Argentine’s canonization.
The 18th-century Argentine lay Catholic will be canonized by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica on February 11. In 2016 the Pope beatified “Mama Antula”.
“She learned what God wants from each of us so that we can discover his calling, each in our own life situation,” Francis said. Mama Antula (1730-1799) took her premise “Everything for the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls” from Ignatian spirituality and nourished her entire work on behalf of the marginalized and the proclamation from it: “So much so that one of her main concerns, as “Society of Jesus was suppressed, was to give retreats ourselves to help everyone discover the beauty of following Christ,” explained Francis.
When the nun was forbidden from accompanying retreats due to society’s dislike for the Jesuits, she decided to pass them on secretly. “This dimension of secrecy must not be forgotten, it is very important,” the Pope underlined. “In this sense, another message that the Blessed gives us in our world today is that we must not give up in the face of adversity, that we must not give up our good intentions of bringing the Gospel to everyone, despite the challenges that this presents can bring with it.”
Canonization on Sunday
Francis canonizes his compatriot María Antonia di San Giuseppe de Paz y Figueroa next Sunday in Saint Peter. Argentina’s new President Javier Milei also arrived at the celebration, whom the Pope plans to receive in audience on Monday.
Also present in Rome is the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva. He told media representatives at the Vatican on Thursday that he hoped Pope Francis would visit his home country of Argentina. “The people want to meet their shepherd. We’re all waiting for him. We want to see him, we want to hear his words. We need his physical presence in our country.” It would be the first visit to Argentina by Pope Francis, who had rarely left Argentina until before his election as pope.
Archbishop García Cuerva also recalled that Argentina is currently experiencing one of the most serious crises in its history and that the Church must be close to the people in this situation. Argentines must learn to see the Pope as a global leader and no longer include him in the country’s domestic political debates.
(vatican news – gs)
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