Pope: 'No compromising' the Gospel
"Throughout history, and today too, we often see some movement that preaches the Gospel with its own modality, sometimes with true, proper charisms; but then it exaggerates and reduces the whole Gospel to 'a movement'." Marking one year since the explosion that hit the port of Beirut with a call to the international community to help Lebanon "pave a path of resurrection with concrete gestures, not just words".
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "There is no compromise on the Gospel". "The Gospel cannot be bargained for: faith in Jesus is not a commodity to be bargained for," as shown in Paul's Letter to the Galatians, the theme of Pope Francis' cycle of catechesis for the general audience, which resumed today after the suspension in July.
Returning to the Paul VI Hall, and attended by about four thousand people, the audience was also an opportunity for Francis to recall the explosion that just a year ago struck the port of Beirut. In addition to the victims of the explosion, the Pope recalled the day he dedicated to the Lebanese situation at the beginning of last July and launched an appeal to aid Lebanon "pave a path of resurrection with concrete gestures, not only with words".
He added "I hope, that in this sense the Conference being promoted by France and the United Nations will be fruitful."
Francis finally repeated to the Lebanese his desire to visit the country, with the hope that it will return to being "a message of brotherhood and peace for the entire Middle East."
Earlier in his address, Francis took his cue from Paul's warning to the Galatians - to whom "missionaries" were proposing circumcision according to Mosaic law - that the truth proclaimed in the Gospel cannot be changed.
"TThe pivot around which everything revolves is the Gospel. Paul does not think of the “four Gospels”, as is natural for us, Indeed, while he is sending this Letter, none of the four Gospels had yet been written. For him the Gospel is what he preaches, the kerygma, the proclamation of the death and resurrection of Jesus as the source of salvation. A Gospel that is expressed in four verbs: “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and he appeared the Cephas, then to the twelve” (I Cor 15: 3-5). This Gospel is the fulfilment of the promises and the salvation offered to all men. Whoever accepts it is reconciled to God, is welcomed as a true son, and receives the inheritance of eternal life. Faced with such a great gift to the Galatians, the Apostle cannot explain why they might think of accepting another “Gospel”. More sophisticated, more intellectual".
Paul "cannot risk compromise on such decisive ground. There is only one Gospel and it is the one he proclaimed; no other exists." "You cannot negotiate with the Gospel. Either you receive the Gospel as it is, as it was announced, or you receive nothing. But you cannot negotiate with the Gospel. When you talk about the Gospel and its possible upheaval, you cannot compromise: faith in Jesus is not a commodity to be bargained for: it is salvation, it is encounter, it is redemption. It cannot be sold cheaply.
The one described in the Letter, Francis noted, "seems paradoxical, because all those involved seem to be animated by good feelings. The Galatians who listen to the new missionaries think that by circumcision they will be even more devoted to the will of God and thus be even more pleasing to Paul. Paul's enemies seem to be inspired by fidelity to the tradition received from the fathers and believe that genuine faith consists in observing the Law. In the face of this supreme fidelity, they even justify their insinuations and suspicions about Paul, who is considered unorthodox with regard to tradition. The Apostle himself is well aware that his mission is of a divine nature and therefore he is moved by total enthusiasm for the novelty of the Gospel. His pastoral anxiety leads him to be severe, because he sees the great risk facing young Christians. In short, in this labyrinth of good intentions it is necessary to disentangle oneself in order to grasp the supreme truth that is most consistent with the Person and preaching of Jesus and his revelation of the Father's love. For this reason, Paul's clear and decisive word was salutary for the Galatians and is salutary for us too.
Finally, in his greeting to the English-speaking faithful, Francis wished "that the coming summer vacations will be a time of refreshment and spiritual renewal for you and your families."
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