Pope Francis took a break from his July vacation to hold an official meeting with representatives of six religious congregations on the occasion of their general chapters.
In his address, the pope asked them to imitate God by being simple people.
“God’s love is simple and his beauty is a simple, not sophisticated beauty. Ask the Lord for simplicity, both on a personal level and in the synodal dynamics of the community journey, stripping yourselves of everything that is not needed or that can hinder listening and agreement in your discernment processes,” he said.
Pope Francis told the groups it was important to have vocations, to pray before the tabernacle and to avoid ambition within their congregations at all costs. He warned that it is “a plague” in the consecrated life.