By Charles Igwe
During his first general audience since the second session of the Synod on Synodality began, Pope Francis urged Catholics to recognize the “prohibitions of the Holy Spirit” as a safeguard for the Church’s unity and universality. Speaking to pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square, the pope stressed that true unity cannot be shaped by personal opinions but must be guided by the Holy Spirit.
Pope Francis encouraged the faithful to become “instruments of unity and peace” led by the Spirit, rather than allowing individual viewpoints to take precedence. “We all want unity. We all desire it from the depths of our heart, and yet it is so difficult to attain,” he acknowledged. “Unity and concord are among the most difficult things to achieve and even harder to maintain. Everyone wants unity but based on one’s own point of view.”
To foster unity within the Catholic Church, the pope called attention to the “surprising prohibitions of the Spirit.” He emphasized that unity cannot be planned or imposed but must arise through the Holy Spirit’s action.
“The unity of Pentecost, according to the Spirit, is achieved when one makes the effort to put God, not oneself, as the center,” Pope Francis concluded. “Christian unity is also built in this way.”
“True unity arises when we surrender our desires for control and allow the Spirit to lead us beyond ourselves.”
