Pope deplores the theft of documents, insists the “reform project” will go on
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – The recent publication of stolen Holy See documents is "a deplorable act," but it will not distract the pope from the “reform project” he and his advisers are pursing, said Pope Francis himself today at the end of the Angelus prayer to pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter’s Square.
The stolen confidential documents concern the Vatican’s economic situation and the expenses of various individuals. The information they contain has found its way into two books, Avarizia (Avarice) by Emiliano Fittipaldi, and Via Crucis by Gianluigi Nuzzi.
The discovery of the theft and the publication of the documents has led to the arrest of two people, Mgr Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda, and Francesca Chaouqui, who worked for the Holy See.
The pope slammed the media circus that followed, which the authors justify by saying that they wanted “to help the pope,” as breaking the law, and a mistake. “I want to tell you, first of all, that stealing those documents was a crime,” the pope said, enunciating each word and underlining it with a movement of the hand. “It is a deplorable act that does not help. I personally had asked for that study to be carried out and both I and my advisers were well acquainted with (the contents of) those documents and steps have been taken that have started to bear fruit, some of them even visible.”
“Therefore I wish to reassure you that this sad event certainly does not deter me from the reform project that we are carrying out, together with my advisers and with the support of all of you. Yes, with the support of the whole Church because the Church renews itself with prayer and the daily holiness of each baptized person.
“I therefore thank you and ask you to continue to pray for the Pope and the Church, without getting upset or troubled but proceeding with faith and hope."
Several times, people in the square interrupted him with a loud applause.
Before the Marian prayer, the pontiff commented on today’s Gospel (Thirty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, B, Mark 12:38-44), in which Jesus compares the attitude of the scribes to that of the widow who offers her mite to the temple.
In the first part, Francis noted that the Gospel describes "how not to be followers of Christ”.
"Jesus, he said, “criticises the scribes, the teachers of the law, for three flaws in their lifestyle: pride, greed and hypocrisy . . . Even today there is a risk of taking on such attitudes. For example, when one separates prayer from justice, because one cannot worship God and cause harm to the poor. Or when one says one loves God, but instead one puts one’s vainglory, one’s own advantage, before him."
The second part, the pope turned to the «ideal example of a Christian."
"The scene is set in the temple of Jerusalem,” the pope noted, “precisely in the place where people threw coins as offerings. There were many rich people who put in large sums, and there was a poor widow who also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Jesus observed attentively the woman and drew the disciples’ attention to the striking contrast of the scene. The rich contributed all from their surplus wealth, but she discretely and humbly contributed ‘all she had, her whole livelihood’ (Mk, 12: 44). For this reason, Jesus said, she gave more than anybody else. From her poverty, she might have given one coin to the Temple, and kept the rest for herself. But she did not want to go halfway with God: she gave up everything. In her poverty, she realised that, with God, she had everything. She felt totally loved by Him and in turn loved Him totally.
“Jesus, at present, is telling us that the standard to judge is not quantity but fullness. It is not a question of one’s wallet, but of one’s heart. Loving God 'with all my heart' means trusting him, his providence, and serving him by serving our poorest brothers and sisters without expecting anything in return."
Speaking without his prepared notes, the pontiff related a story that occurred when he was bishop. A mother urged her children to help beggars who had come to their door not "with the superfluous", which "was in the fridge," but by giving up part of the steak they had on their plate and that they were about to eat.
"Faced with the needs of others,” he explained, “we are called to give up something essential, not only the superfluous. We are called to give up necessary time, not only what is left over. We are called to give right away and unconditionally some of our talent, not after using it for our own purposes or group. "
In expressing his final greetings, Francis noted that he would be in Florence on 10 November. The 5th National Ecclesial Congress opens there tomorrow with bishops and delegates from every Italian diocese. Its theme is "In Jesus Christ the new humanism". In making the announcement, Pope Francis also said he would make a quick visit to Prato, home to Italy’s largest Chinese community.
The pope also greeted a group of young Japanese in the square.
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