During the Mass he celebrated at Domus Sanctae Marthae, Francis stressed the "renewal" Jesus brought. The "Church has always been attentive to this, with dialogue with cultures . . . It always allows itself to be renewed according to places, times, and people" it encounters. "The Church has always done this; from the very first moment".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - We should not be afraid to renew the "ancient, passing structures" of the Church, following the Holy Spirit, like in the past. In today's Mass at Domus Sanctae Marthae, Pope Francis touched one of the most pressing issues of his pontificate, namely the reorganisation of the Church's "structures"

Inspired by Jesus's idea of "New wine in new wineskins", Francis focused on the renewal that Jesus brings, Vatican Radio reported. "The doctrine of the law," the Pontiff noted, "is enriched, renewed with Jesus," who delivered "true renewal of the law, the same law, but more mature, renewed." What Jesus requires of us is greater than the requirements of the law. The law allows us to hate our enemy; Jesus, on the other hand, tells us to pray for him. This is then "the Kingdom of God that Jesus preaches," a renewal that is above all "in our heart."

We think that "being Christian means doing this, or doing that," but it is not so. "Being Christian means allowing oneself to be renewed by Jesus in this new life. 'I am a good Christian, I go to Mass every Sunday from 11 until noon, I do this, I do that'. . . as if it were a collection. But a Christian life is not a collage of things. It is a harmonious whole, harmonious, and the Holy Spirit does it! He renews everything. He renews our heart, our life, and makes us live differently, but in a way that takes up the whole of our life. You cannot be Christian in bits and pieces, a part time Christian simply does not work!" He must be "a whole, everything, full-time. The Spirit accomplishes this renewal. Being Christian ultimately means, not doing things, but allowing oneself to be renewed by the Holy Spirit, or, to use Jesus's words, becoming new wine."

The Gospel's newness lies in its newness "but within the same law that comes in the history of Salvation." And this newness, he said, "goes beyond us," it renews us and "renews the structures." This is why Jesus says that new wineskins are necessary for new wine:

"In Christian life, even in the life of the Church, there are old structures, passing structures. It is necessary to renew them! And the Church has always been attentive to this, with dialogue with cultures . . . It always allows itself to be renewed according to places, times, and persons" it encounters. "The Church has always done this!"

"From the very first moment, we remember the first theological battle. Was it necessary to carry out all of the Jewish practices in order to be Christian? No! They said no! The gentiles could enter as they are, as gentiles . . . by entering into the Church and receiving the baptism." This was the "first renewal of the structures. . . .

"And so the Church always goes forward, giving space to the Holy Spirit that renews these structures, structures of the churches. Don't be afraid of that! Don't be afraid of the newness of the Gospel! Don't be afraid of the newness that the Holy Spirit works in us! Don't be afraid of the renewal of structures!"

The Church, the Holy Father said, "is free. The Holy Spirit carries her forward." The Gospel teaches this: "the liberty to find always the newness of the Gospel in us, in our life, and even in our structures."

In reiterating the importance of the "freedom to choose new wineskins for this newness," the pope added Christians are free "through the liberty" that Jesus gave us. Christians "are not slaves to habits, structures. . . . The Spirit carries [them] forward."

Noting that on the day of Pentecost, the disciples were with the Virgin Mary, the pope said "And where the mother is, the children are safe! All of them! Let us ask for the grace of not being afraid of the newness of the Gospel, of not being afraid of the renewal that the Holy Spirit brings, of not being afraid to let go of the passing structures that imprison us. If we are afraid, we know that the Mother is with us. And like children who are a little afraid, let us go to her; and she, as the ancient antiphon says, 'will protect us with her cloak, with her motherly protection.' Amen."

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