Pope Francis warned this Sunday of the “curse” that would be a Church “with a narrow heart” closed to the people and called for unity, in his homily at the Mass for the Fourth Day of the Word of God in the Basilica of Saint Peter.
“If salvation is destined for everyone, even the most distant and lost, then the proclamation of the Word must be the main urgency of the ecclesial community. This would be, let’s say, a curse,” Francis warned.
The Argentine pontiff defended that the Word of God “is not intended only for the just, but for all” and called on his Church to “open up to the people.”
“He wants to reach those who are far away, heal the sick, save sinners, gather the lost sheep and lift up those who have a tired and burdened heart (…) Let’s not forget, God’s mercy is for everyone “, said. stressed.
Pope Francis also sent a message of unity at a time when tensions in the Vatican have become more evident, especially after the death of emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, in a reference to the more conservative wing.
A frequent target of criticism from this wing, the Pope argued in his homily that the Second Vatican Council showed a way forward: “All of us, including the pastors of the Church, are under the authority of the Word of God.”
“Not under our own tastes, tendencies and preferences, but under the one Word of God that shapes us, converts us and asks us to unite in the one Church of Christ,” Francis warned.
Source: TSF
