In 2013 Pope Francis declared that a Year of Consecrated Life (YCL) be celebrated throughout the world. YCL began on the First Sunday of Advent, 30 November 2014. Pope Francis has dedicated this year to the promotion of consecrated life and asked the Church's religious sisters, brothers and priests to "wake up the world" with their testimony of faith and joy. It will close on the World Day of Consecrated Life, February 2, 2016.
Speaking at the 2014 Catholic Religious Australia National Assembly, Cardinal João Bráz de Aviz cm, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, told Australian religious, "In this year, we want to recognize and confess our weaknesses, but we also want to show the world with strength and joy the holiness and vitality that are present in consecrated life."
To mark the occasion the Communications Centre for the whole Carmelite Order has released this video.
