Pope Leo sends greeting and imparts blessing for the 70th RECongress
Pope Leo sends greeting and imparts blessing on those gathered for the 70th Religious Education Congress in Anaheim
This morning at the opening ceremony of the 70th Los Angeles Religious Education Congress (RECongress) in Anaheim, Archbishop José H. Gomez delivered a message from the Holy Father Pope Leo XIV offering prayers for the catechists, educators and teachers of the faith attending the conference so that they may continue and strengthen their ministries of spreading the Gospel.
“As men and women dedicated to the task of religious education, you are well aware that ‘the authentic teacher arouses the desire for truth,’” read the message from Pope Leo transmitted by Cardinal Pietro Parolin (full text below). “Indeed, by deepening your relationship with Jesus, who is the Truth, and continuing to be faithful and joyful disciples in your daily lives, your authenticity as educators and catechetical leaders will enable you to transmit the Gospel in such a way that it leads to a true encounter with the Lord and contributes to building up a lasting and life-giving culture.”
Pope Leo also encouraged young people to be present and to “open their hearts to the love of God” in the message which read: “Love not only led Jesus to give himself for us on the Cross, but also to remain with us in the Blessed Sacrament.”
In his message, which was delivered to the Archbishop by the Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, Pope Leo also imparted an Apostolic Blessing to all those attending the 70th RECongress themed “Wrapped in Mercy, Hope Renewed.”
“With the Holy Father, I offer you my prayers that this will be a time of renewal and friendship and that you will all come to an even deeper dedication to your vocation as disciples of Jesus, entrusted with the beautiful duty to teach His Gospel in way that brings others to a true and living encounter with our Lord,” said Archbishop Gomez as he concluded his welcome remarks.
The Los Angeles Religious Education Congress (RECongress) is an annual four-day event, running through February 22, drawing Catholics from across the nation and around the globe sponsored by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Office of Religious Education. The 70th RECongress is a dynamic gathering of the global church in Anaheim, Calif. with more than 147 workshops in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese – welcoming all to meet Jesus through connection, learning and worship. It began yesterday with Youth Day where thousands of middle and high school students filled the convention center for an energetic daylong gathering full of music, prayer and storytelling. Select portions of the event will be livestreamed here: https://recongress.org/livestream.
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Following is the full text of the message from Pope Leo XIV:
His Holiness Pope Leo XIV sends cordial greetings to all who are participating in the 70th Los Angeles Religious Education Congress taking place in Anaheim. As you gather for these days of prayer, formation, and fellowship, he trusts that they will provide an opportunity for true spiritual renewal.
As men and women dedicated to the task of religious education, you are well aware that “the authentic teacher arouses the desire for truth” (Apostolic Letter, Drawing New Maps of Hope, 2.2). Indeed, by deepening your relationship with Jesus, who is the Truth (cf. Jn 14:6), and continuing to be faithful and joyful disciples in your daily lives, your authenticity as educators and catechetical leaders will enable you to transmit the Gospel in such a way that it leads to a true encounter with the Lord and contributes to building up a lasting and life-giving culture (cf. ibid., 1.1).
His Holiness would likewise encourage the young people present to open their hearts to the love of God. Love not only led Jesus to give himself for us on the Cross, but also to remain with us in the Blessed Sacrament. In this regard, he prays that their experience at the Conference will help them to discover Jesus’ Eucharistic presence as an unfailing source of comfort and strength in all of life’s circumstances.
Entrusting all of you to the maternal intercession of Mary, Our Lady of the Angels, the Holy Father gladly imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of wisdom, joy and hope in the Lord.
Signed, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State