Christ calls everyone to holiness

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Commentary of the day :

Pope Francis
General Audience of 02/10/2013 (trans. © copyright Libreria Editrice Vaticana)
Christ calls everyone to holiness

In the Creed, after professing: “I believe in one Church”, we add the adjective “holy”; we affirm the sanctity of the Church, and this is a characteristic that has been present from the beginning in the consciousness of early Christians, who were simply called “the holy people” (cf. Acts 9,13, 32, 41; Rom 8,27; 1 Cor 6,1), because they were certain that it is the action of God, the Holy Spirit that sanctifies the Church.

But in what sense is the Church holy if we see that the historical Church, on her long journey through the centuries, has had so many difficulties, problems, dark moments? How can a Church consisting of human beings, of sinners, be holy? Sinful men, sinful women, sinful priests, sinful sisters, sinful bishops, sinful cardinals, a sinful pope? Everyone. How can such a Church be holy?

To respond to this question I would like to be led by a passage from the Letter of St Paul to the Christians of Ephesus. The Apostle, taking as an example family relationships, states that “Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her” (5,25-26). Christ loved the Church, by giving himself on the Cross.

 And this means that the Church is holy because she comes from God who is holy, he is faithful to her and does not abandon her to the power of death and of evil (cf. Mt 16,18).

She is holy because Jesus Christ, the Holy One of God (cf. Mk 1,24), is indissolubly united to her (cf. Mt 28,20); She is holy because she is guided by the Holy Spirit who purifies, transforms, renews.

She is not holy by her own merits, but because God makes her holy, it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit and of his gifts. It is not we who make her holy. It is God, the Holy Spirit, who in his love makes the Church holy.

Vatican calls on Muslims to openly condemn attacks against minorities in...

Vatican calls on Muslims to openly condemn attacks against minorities in Iraq

IF WE as CHRISTIANS ...

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IF WE as CHRISTIANS   do NOT unite now! What will unite us....
AWAKE MY SOUL    A W A K  E

Traduzione in lingua inglese
http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2014/08/12/0567/01287.html#Traduzione%20in%20lingua%20inglese

 

The whole world has witnessed with incredulity what is now called the "Restoration of the Caliphate," which had been abolished on October 29,1923 by Kamal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey.

 

Opposition to this "restoration" by the majority of religious institutions and Muslim politicians has not prevented the "Islamic State" jihadists from committing and continuing to commit unspeakable criminal acts.

 

This Pontifical Council, together with all those engaged in interreligious dialogue, followers of all religions, and all men and women of good will, can only unambiguously denounce and condemn these practices which bring shame on humanity:

-the massacre of people on the sole basis of their religious affiliation;

 

-the despicable practice of beheading, crucifying and hanging bodies in public places;

 

-the choice imposed on Christians and Yezidis between conversion to Islam, payment of a tax (jizya) or forced exile;

 

-the forced expulsion of tens of thousands of people, including children, elderly, pregnant women and the sick;

 

-the abduction of girls and women belonging to the Yezidi and Christian communities as spoils of war (sabaya);

 

-the imposition of the barbaric practice of infibulation;

 

-the destruction of places of worship and Christian and Muslim burial places;

 

-the forced occupation or desecration of churches and monasteries;

-the removal of crucifixes and other Christian religious symbols as well as those of other

religious communities;

 

-the destruction of a priceless Christian religious and cultural heritage;

 

-indiscriminate violence aimed at terrorizing people to force them to surrender or flee.

 

No cause, and certainly no religion, can justify such barbarity.

 

This constitutes an extremely serious offense to humanity and to God who is the Creator, as Pope Francis has often reminded us.

 

We cannot forget, however, that Christians and Muslims have lived together - it is true with ups and downs - over the centuries, building a culture of peaceful coexistence and civilization of which they are proud.

 

Moreover, it is on this basis that, in recent years, dialogue between Christians and Muslims has continued and intensified.

 

 

The dramatic plight of Christians, Yezidis and other religious communities and ethnic minorities in Iraq requires a clear and courageous stance on the part of religious leaders, especially Muslims, as well as those engaged in interreligious dialogue and all people of good will.

 

All must be unanimous in condemning unequivocally these crimes and in denouncing the use of religion to justify them.

 

If not, what credibility will religions, their followers and their leaders have?

 

What credibility can the interreligious dialogue that we have patiently pursued over recent years have?

 

 

Religious leaders are also called to exercise their influence with the authorities to end these crimes, to punish those who commit them and to reestablish the rule of law throughout the land, ensuring the return home of those who have been displaced.

 

While recalling the need for an ethical management of human societies, these same religious leaders must not fail to stress that the support, funding and arming of terrorism is morally reprehensible.

 

That said, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue is grateful to all those who have already raised their voices to denounce terrorism, especially that which uses religion to justify it.

 

Let us therefore unite our voices with that of Pope Francis: "May the God of peace stir up in each one of us a genuine desire for dialogue and reconciliation. Violence is never defeated by violence. Violence is defeated by peace. "

 

[01287-02.01] [Original text: French - working translation]