Dear brothers and sisters,

I send warm greetings to all those who have participated in this Jubilee celebration dedicated to catechists, especially those who have been instituted today for this ministry. Together with you, I extend my good wishes for a fruitful service to all catechists in the Church throughout the world! Thank you for your service to the Church. Let us pray for them, especially for those who work in difficult conditions. God bless you all!

I greet the pilgrims from the Diocese of Vicenza with their Bishop and the other groups of faithful from various countries.

In recent days, a very powerful typhoon has struck several Asian territories, in particular the Philippines, the island of Taiwan, the city of Hong Kong, the Guangdong region and Vietnam. I assure the affected populations, especially the poorest, of my closeness and of my prayers for the victims, the missing, the many displaced families, the countless people who have suffered hardship, as well as the rescue workers and civil authorities. I invite everyone to put their trust in God and to show solidarity with others. May the Lord give strength and courage to overcome every adversity.

I am pleased to announce that on November 1, during the Jubilee of the World of Education, I will confer the title of Doctor of the Church on Saint John Henry Newman, who contributed decisively to the renewal of theology and to the understanding of the development of Christian doctrine.

Let us now entrust ourselves to the intercession of the Virgin Mary. May she, who was the mother and first disciple of Jesus, sustain the Church’s commitment to proclaim the faith today.