Pope calls on politicians and scientists to end the pandemic for the sake of people, not money
“Remember what Jesus said: there are two lords, the Lord God and the god of money. One cannot serve both.” “May the Lord be both in our personal life and in our social life”. May he “always help us to choose the announcement: the announcement that is horizon, open, always; may he lead us to choose what is good for people. And never fall into the tomb of the god of money.”
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis introduced the Mass he celebrated this morning at Casa Santa Marta by calling on politicians and scientists to find ways to overcome the pandemic for the sake of people, not money.
“Let us pray today for leaders, scientists, politicians, who have begun to study the way out, the post-pandemic [period], this 'after' that has already begun, that they may find the right way, always in in favour of people, always in favour of the people,” said Francis. “Our bet will be either on life, on the resurrection of peoples, on for the god of money.”
Commenting on the passage in the Gospel (Mt 28, 8-15) in which the Risen Jesus appears to some women to urge them to tell his disciples to go to Galilee, whilst the priests bribe the soldiers guarding the tomb, saying to report that Jesus’ disciples had stolen the body as they slept, Francis highlighted that the Gospel offers a choice, one that also applies today, between the hope of the resurrection of Jesus and the nostalgia for the tomb.
“Today's Gospel presents us with an option, an everyday option, a human option that has existed since that day: the option between the joy, the hope of the resurrection of Jesus, and the nostalgia for the tomb. Women went forth to make the announcement (cf. Mt. 28:8). God always begins with women, always. They open paths. They don't doubt: they know; they saw him, they touched him. They also saw the empty tomb. It is true that the disciples could not believe it and said: 'But these women are perhaps a little too imaginative' . . . I don't know, they had their doubts. But they were certain and eventually carried on this path until today: Jesus is risen, he is alive among us (cf. Mt. 28, 9-10).”
“And then there is more. It is better not to live with the empty tomb. The empty tomb will bring us many problems. [There is] the decision to hide the fact. As always, when we do not serve God, the Lord, we serve the other god, money. Remember what Jesus said: there are two lords, the Lord God and god of money. One cannot serve both. To overcome this self-evident fact, this reality, the priests, the doctors of the Law, chose the other path, the one offered to them by money and they paid; they paid for silence (cf. Mt. 28, 12-13), the silence of the witnesses. One of the guards had confessed, as soon as Jesus had died: ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’ (Mk 15:39).”
“These poor people did not understand; they were afraid because their life was at stake . . . and they went to the priests, to the doctors of the Law. And they paid; they bought the silence, and this, dear brothers and sisters, is not a bribe; this is pure corruption, pure corruption. If one does not acknowledge Jesus Christ the Lord, ask yourself why, where is the seal of your tomb, where there is corruption. It is true that many people do not acknowledge Jesus because they do not know him, because we have not consistently announced him. This is our fault. But when we take this path knowing the evidence, it is the devil's path, it is the path of corruption. One pays and you shut up.”
"Even today, in the face of the upcoming, hopefully soon, end of this pandemic, there is the same option: either we bet on life, on the resurrection of peoples or we bet on the god of money: go back to the tomb of hunger, slavery, wars, weapons factories, children without education ... that’s where the tomb is.”
“May the Lord be both in our personal life and in our social life,” said Francis at the end of the service. May he “always help us to choose the announcement, the announcement that is horizon, open, always; may he lead us to choose what is good for people. And never fall into the tomb of the god of money.”
The Pope ended the celebration with the Eucharistic adoration and the blessing, inviting people to make spiritual communion. Before leaving the chapel dedicated to the Holy Spirit, the Marian antiphon Regina caeli, which is performed at Easter, was sung.
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