The great enemy of faith is not intelligence, nor is it reason, as some continue obsessively to repeat, Pope Francis said in his general audience today. The great enemy of faith is fear.

During his general audience, Pope Francis reminded his listeners of the importance of the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity. Engaging the crowd by having them recite the virtues aloud, Francis said that theological virtues animate our everyday actions toward the good.

In a speech at his weekly general audience, Pope Francis said that the cardinal virtue of temperance “lets one enjoy the goods of life better.”

In a speech at his weekly general audience, Francis said that “fortitude is a fundamental virtue because it takes the challenge of evil in the world seriously.”

In a speech at his weekly general audience, Pope Francis highlighted justice in his cycle of catechesis on virtues. Justice, the pope said, is animated by the righteous person who “desires the good of society as a whole.”

In his cycle of catechesis on virtues, Pope Francis calls us to emulate Christ’s patience, saying that “patience is not only a need, it is a calling: if Christ is patient, the Christian is called to be patient.”