Pope Francis made a lighthearted comment about the sacrament of Confirmation at the end of the August 28, 2024, general audience, saying that those who refer to the sacrament as a young person's farewell to church life are "cattive lingue," literally, bad tongues -- people who spread negative talk.
The Pope told the young people how through the sacrament, which brings the gifts of the Holy Spirit, in fact "your friendship with Jesus has become more intimate and is nourished by the Eucharist."
That is why I encourage you to faithfully attend Sunday Mass and also to approach the Sacrament of Penance, Confession: It is the encounter with Jesus who forgives our sins and helps us to do good.
Then he added:
It is said - but they are bad tongues, I think - that confirmation is the sacrament of farewell, that once you receive it, no one comes back to church. I think it is not true: you always go back to church!
Learn about the sacrament at the Catechism and with our brief article below.
St. Augustine
The Pope also made references to today's feast of St. Augustine.
For example, to German-speaking pilgrims, he noted how the saint, "after a long inner journey of searching, realized how much God, our Creator, loves us and that our restless hearts ultimately find rest and peace only in Him."
"I wish you, too, this experience of God's peace, which surpasses all understanding (cf. Phil. 4:7)," the Pope said.
