The gifts of men and women are “fruitful” together, and to erase the difference between men and women “is to erase humanity,” Pope Francis said.

Jesus did not teach his disciples to organize agencies and structures to help vulnerable people, but gave the example of encountering them, listening to them and helping them as individuals and not “categories” of people in need, Pope Francis said.

To listen to Christ is not merely to obey, but to hear deeply, in the place where daily conversion can occur. In this declared “Year of Prayer,” it is not too much to consider that listening is very much a part of the act of prayer.

Western theology risks becoming an abstract and rationalized conversation among academics rather than a tool for nourishing the faith of God’s people, the papal preacher said.

The urgent need for Catholic parishes to welcome young and old with disabilities — and their families — was prominent among presentation threads at a Feb. 17 conference held virtually by the Diocese of Arlington, Va., “From Inclusion to Belonging: Creating Communities that Foster Mental Health for All.”