Pope: even people with authority in the Church can be tempted to serve their own interests
During the Angelus, Francis announced the publication of his third encyclical “Fratelli Tutti”. He also said that for Jesus, true authority is in serving rather than exploiting others.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis gave his thoughts about the Gospel parable of the murderous vintners. In so doing, he noted that for Jesus true authority is in serving others rather than exploit them.
“In every age,” he explained, “those who have authority, any authority – even in the Church, in the people of God – can be tempted to serve their own interests rather than God’s those.”
Citing the Gospel passage, the pontiff suggests that Jesus uses the parable "to admonish the chief priests and elders of the people who are about to take the wrong path.”
In fact, when Jesus asks what the owner of the vineyard will do to the peasants who have beaten and killed, the leaders of the people who were trying to eliminate Jesus, answer saying that "they will deliver their own conviction”. The owner will punish them and entrust his vineyard to others.
“With this very stern parable, Jesus forces his interlocutors to face their responsibility. He does so with extreme clarity. However, let us not imagine that this admonition applies only to those who rejected Jesus at that time. [Indeed,] It applies to all times, including our own. Even today God awaits the fruits of His vineyard from those He has sent to work in it. [That is] All of us.”
Yet, “The vineyard belongs to the Lord, not to us. [Holding] Authority is a service, and as such should be exercised for the good of everyone and for the dissemination of the Gospel. It is sad to see people with authority in the Church pursuing their own interests.”
After the Marian prayer, the pontiff spoke about his visit to Assisi yesterday "to sign the new Encyclical Fratelli Tutti (Brothers All) on fraternity and social friendship. I offered it to God at the grave of St Francis, who inspired me, as he did previously with Laudato si'.
“The signs of the times clearly show that human brotherhood and care of creation constitute the only path towards integral development and peace, as Popes Saints John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul II had noted” already.
“Today, I have the pleasure of giving you the new Encyclical here in the square and also outside the square in a special edition of the Osservatore Romano. With this edition, the Osservatore Romano resumes its daily printed run. May Saint Francis accompany the Church’s path of brotherhood among believers of every religion and all peoples.”
Today also marks the end of “the Time of Creation, which began on 1 September, in which we celebrated a ‘Jubilee for the Earth’ along with our brethren in other Christian Churches.”
“I greet the representatives of the Global Catholic Climate Movement, the various Laudato si’ circles and associations of reference, engaged in journeys of integral ecology.”
Lastly, Francis greeted the family and friends of the Swiss Guards, who came to witness the swearing in of new recruits, “They are excellent men!” said the Pope. A “Swiss Guard undertakes a life journey in the service of the Church, of the Supreme Pontiff. They are excellent men who come here for two, three, four years and more.”
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