Search

Pope Francis  at the general audience of September 19, 2018, in the Vatican. Pope Francis at the general audience of September 19, 2018, in the Vatican.  

Pope at Audience: English summary

During his weekly general audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis continued his series on the Ten Commandments. He dedicated his catechesis of September 19 to the fourth commandment: Honour your father and your mother. Here is the official summary in English.

Dear brothers and sisters: In our continuing catechesis on the Ten Commandments, we now turn to the fourth commandment: “”.  In the version of the Decalogue found in the Book of Deuteronomy, this command is followed by the promise of a long and happy life.  We know how important the experience of good upbringing is for our later life, as well as the fact that not all parents are perfect.  The fourth commandment bids us respect those who brought us into the world, despite their own limitations and the shortcomings of our childhood or home situation.  When we look to the saints who suffered in their early years, we see that whatever our past hurts, God’s grace can bring not only healing but strength to change and to build a constructive future.  God has a plan for our life.  He is our heavenly Father, who through the death and resurrection of his Son offers us the possibility of being born anew and to enjoy life in abundance.  In this light, we can honour our parents with gratitude for the gift of life they gave us, which finds its fulfilment in the glorious freedom of the children of God. 

Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here

19 September 2018, 10:08