VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis said Wednesday that hypocrisy in the Church is “particularly detestable.”
Speaking to the general audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on August 25, the Pope stressed that hypocritical behavior was damaging the unity of the Church.
“Hypocrisy in the Church is particularly detestable, and unfortunately there is hypocrisy in the Church and there are many hypocritical Christians and ministers. We must never forget the words of the Lord: “Whether what you say is simply Yes or No; nothing more than that comes from evil, ”he said, quoting Matthew 5:37.
“Brothers and sisters, let us think today of the hypocrisy that Paul condemns and that Jesus condemns: hypocrisy. And let us not be afraid to be truthful, to tell the truth, to listen to the truth, to conform to the truth, to be able to love. A hypocrite does not know how to love.
“To act otherwise means to endanger the unity of the Church, that unity for which the Lord Himself prayed.”
The Pope’s live speech, dedicated to the theme “The Dangers of the Law,” was the sixth in his cycle of catechesis on the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians.
The Pope reflected on Galatians 2: 11-14, in which Paul recalls rebuking St. Peter for stopping eating with Gentiles for fear of conflict with strict Jewish Christians, who stressed that Jews were forbidden to eat with non-Jews under a mosaic . Law.
“In the first place, Peter had been eating with Christians of pagan origin without any difficulty; however, when some circumcised Christians from Jerusalem came to the city, he no longer did so because he did not want to incur his criticisms, ”the Pope said.
“This is the error: he was more focused on criticism, on making a good impression. And this is serious in Paul’s eyes, because other disciples imitated Peter, especially Barnabas, who with Paul had even evangelized the Galatians.”
Pope Francis said that, without intention, Peter was creating “an unjust division” within the community.
Addressing pilgrims who were sitting in the lobby and wearing face covers to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Pope said that Paul was, in essence, accusing Peter of hypocrisy.
He suggested that hypocrisy could be defined as “the fear of the truth.”
“In an environment where interpersonal relationships are lived under the banner of formalism, the virus of hypocrisy spreads easily,” he said.
He noted that hypocrisy is often condemned in the Bible. He highlighted the example of Eleazar, an elderly Jew who refused to save his life by eating meat sacrificed to pagan deities.
Citing the Second Book of Maccabees, the Pope said that Eleazar had refused because the younger generation would come to the conclusion that he had “passed on to an alien religion” and that he had deviated.
“What a good episode to reflect on to distance ourselves from hypocrisy,” the Pope remarked. “The Gospels also report various situations in which Jesus strongly rebukes those who appear externally, but who internally are full of falsehood and iniquity.”
He encouraged pilgrims to read chapter 23 of the Gospel of Matthew and to notice how often Jesus refers to “hypocrites.”
He added that hypocrites are people who “make you see, flatter and deceive” because they do not have the courage to face the truth about themselves.
“For this reason, they are not able to truly love – a hypocrite does not know how to love – they just live outside of selfishness and do not have the strength to show their heart in a transparent way,” he said.
“There are many situations in which hypocrisy works. He often hides in the workplace where someone looks like a friend of his colleagues and at the same time stabs them in the back because of the competition. In politics, it is not uncommon to find hypocrites living in a public way and in another way in private.
After the intervention, a precision of the Pope’s catechesis was read in seven languages. After each summary, I greeted the members of each language group.
In his statements to Polish-speaking pilgrims, the pope noted that August 26 is the feast of Our Lady of Częstochowa, which is venerated in the monastery of Jasna Góra in southern Poland.
He recalled that in 2016, during World Youth Day in Krakow, he venerated the icon also known as the Black Virgin of Częstochowa.
“Five years ago, I was able to stand with young people in front of their black face and entrust the church to Poland and the world,” he said.
“May their maternal protection be a source of peace and of all goods for you, your families and all Poles. I bless you with all my heart. “
He then sent his best wishes to the athletes participating in the Japan Paralympic Games from August 24 to September 5.
“The Paralympic Games started yesterday in Tokyo. I send my greetings to the athletes and thank them for offering everyone a token of hope and courage. In fact, they show how sporting efforts help to overcome seemingly insurmountable difficulties, ”he said.
The Pope also greeted Catholics in Montegallo, a commune in central Italy that was hit by an earthquake on August 24, 2016.
“Dear brothers and sisters, your presence gives me the opportunity to address my thoughts to the victims and the communities of central Italy, including Accumoli and Amatrice, who have suffered the severe consequences of this seismic event,” he said. say in his statements to Italian-speaking.
“With the concrete help of the institutions, it is necessary to give evidence of“ rebirth ”without letting distrust interpose itself. I urge everyone to move forward with hope. Courage! ”
The general public ended with the recitation of the Our Father and the Apostolic Blessing.
After the audience, the Pope stood up to greet bishops and priests, before being guided up the stairs of the auditorium.