Consolation In his November 23, 2022, General Audience Address, Pope Francis continued the catechesis on the discernment of spirits and how to discern them when they take place in our hearts and in our souls. After considering several aspects of desolation – that darkness in the soul which is light in the soul and another important element in discernment, which is not to be taken for granted, because it can lend itself to misunderstandings. He explains what consolation is: an experience of interior joy, consisting of seeing God’s presence in everything.