Pope: Lay aside weapons, even among ourselves
Pope extended his greetings to the Roman Curia. “The worst thing that could happen to us is to think that we are no longer in need of conversion, either as individuals or as a community,” Francis said. And “if at times I say things that may sound harsh and pointed; it is not because I don’t believe in the value of kindness and persuasion. Rather, it is because it is good to keep our caresses for the weary and the oppressed”.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis today met with the Roman Curia, in the Hall of Blessings (Apostolic Palace), for the traditional Christmas greetings.
In his address, the pontiff took the opportunity to look over the past year of faith, its lights and its shadows.
“In the presence of the Prince of Peace who comes into the world, let us lay aside all weapons of every kind. May none of us profit from his or her position and role in order to demean others,” he told those present.
“At the same time, we need to realize clearly that in reviewing our lives and our past, we should always begin with the remembrance of all the good we have known. For only when we are conscious of the Lord’s goodness to us can we also give a name to the evil that we have experienced or endured. The realization of our poverty, without the realization of God’s love, would crush us.”
“The worst thing that could happen to us is to think that we are no longer in need of conversion, either as individuals or as a community.” In this light, the pontiff mentioned the 60th anniversary of Vatican Council II, celebrated precisely this year.
“What was the Council if not a great moment of conversion for the entire Church?” Yet even “Our current reflection on the Church’s synodality is the fruit of our conviction that the process of understanding Christ’s message never ends, but constantly challenges us.
Since “The contrary of conversion is ‘immobility’, the secret belief that we have nothing else to learn from the Gospel, [. . .] To preserve [it] means to keep alive and not to imprison the message of Christ.”
Conversion does not only change us but also evil; it forces it “to change its tactics, to become more insidious, to find new disguises that will be hard for us to see through.” For this reason, “One of the most helpful virtues to practice in this regard is the virtue of vigilance.”
In this regard, the pontiff noted that Jesus in the parable of mercy spoke not only of the son who leaves, but also of those who are lost in their own home.
“[W]e can be lost even at home, like the coin of that woman, and we can be unhappy even while formally remaining faithful to our duties, like the elder son of the merciful father.
“For those who set out and go astray, it is easy to recognize how far they have wandered; for those who remain at home, it is not easy to appreciate the hell they are living in, convinced that they are mere victims, treated unjustly by constituted authority and, in the last analysis, by God himself. How often this happens here, at home!
Thus, this is also the case “within the walls of the institution, in the service of the Holy See, at the heart of the Church. Precisely for this reason, we could easily fall into the temptation of thinking we are safe, better than others, no longer in need of conversion.” Instead, “we are in greater danger than all others, because we are beset by the ‘elegant demon’, who does not make a loud entrance, but comes with flowers in his hand.”
What is more, “if at times I say things that may sound harsh and pointed; it is not because I don’t believe in the value of kindness and persuasion. Rather, it is because it is good to keep our caresses for the weary and the oppressed, and to have the courage to ‘afflict the comfortable’, as the Servant of God Don Tonino Bello liked to say. For there are times when the comfort they enjoy is only the deception of the devil and not a gift of the Spirit.”
In his address to the curia, Pope Francis also spoke about peace. “Never as at this time have we felt so great a desire for peace. I think of war-torn Ukraine, but also of the many ongoing conflicts in different parts of our world.”
Above all, “War and violence are always a catastrophe. Religion must not lend itself to fueling conflicts. The Gospel is always a Gospel of peace, and in the name of no God can one declare a war to be ‘holy’.”
What is more, “the culture of peace is not built up solely between peoples and nations. It begins in the heart of every one of us. Anguished as we are by the spread of wars and violence, we can and must make our own contribution to peace by striving to uproot from our hearts all hatred and resentment towards the brothers and sisters with whom we live.”
Finally, “Saint Paul clearly tells us that kindliness, mercy and forgiveness are our medicine for building peace.” Truly, “For every war to end, forgiveness is required.”
.png)
23/12/2021 18:57
