Pope Francis led his first Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter’s Square this morning.

Speaking only in Italian, Francis began his address with his now trademark greeting: fratelli e sorelle, buongiorno! (English: “brothers and sisters, good morning!)

In his remarks, Francis encouraged the faithful to follow Christ this Holy Week by going to the streets and walking with, and ministering to, “everyone, without distinction, to the great and the lowly; to the rich young man and the poor widow, the powerful and the weak.”

His remarks seem to re-emphasize those he made in the pre-conclave meetings earlier this month.

Speaking passionately and–at times–off the cuff, Francis encouraged Christians to open their lives to others, especially those who suffer:

Holy Week is a time of grace which the Lord gifts us to open the doors of our hearts, our lives, our parishes – what a pity, so many parishes are closed! – in our parishes, movements, associations, and to “step outside” towards others, to draw close to them so we can bring the light and joy of our faith. Always step outside yourself!And with the love and tenderness of God, with respect and patience, knowing that we put our hands, our feet, our hearts, but then it is God who guides them and makes all our actions fruitful. (emphasis mine, referencing ‘off the cuff remarks’)

Two interesting notes from this morning:

• As noted by Rocco Palmo, Francis has yet to wear his Fisherman’s ring outside the context of major liturgical celebrations. He instead prefers to wear this simple silver ring.
• In the two weeks of his papacy, Francis has yet to utter a single word in English. Today, one of his deputies gave the English address. I have yet to see a single video of then Cardinal Bergoglio speaking English as well.