Hypocrisy in the Catholic
Church is detestable, Pope Francis said at his weekly general
audience Wednesday.
"Hypocrisy in the Church is particularly detestable, and sadly
it exists and there are many Christians and many ministers who
are hypocrites," he said in off-the-cuff remarks.
"We should never forget the Lord's words: 'May your speech be
yes, yes, no, no, the rest comes from the Evil One'."
Francis stressed that "acting otherwise from the truth means
jeopardizing the unity of the Church, that for which the Lord
Himself prayed".
Hypocrisy, the Pope said, "can be called the fear of the truth,"
a feeling that "it is better to pretend than to be yourself"
that can "suffocate the courage to openly say what is true" in
every circumstance, Vatican News reported.
He warned that hypocrisy flourishes "in an environment where
interpersonal relations are lived under the banner of
formalism."
The Bible, however, shows us examples of holy men and women who
refuse to pretend. Pope Francis pointed to Eleazar who, during
the time of the Maccabees, refused to pretend to eat meat
sacrificed to idols, even at the cost of his life.
In the New Testament, the Pope noted, Jesus often condemned
hypocrites who appeared righteous on the outside, but inwardly
were filled with vice.
Hypocrites, said Pope Francis, "are people who pretend, flatter,
and deceive because they live with a mask over their faces and
do not have the courage to face the truth."
He warned, "They are not capable of truly loving." And he noted
that, although we see hypocrisy in the workplace, in politics,
and elsewhere, "hypocrisy in the Church is particularly
detestable."
He recalled the words of the Lord, who said, "Let what you say
be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from
evil."
In his greetings to Italian-speaking faithful during the General
Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis turned his thoughts toward
the 2020 Paralympic Games, which kicked off in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Extending his greetings and gratitude to the athletes for the
"testimony of hope and courage" that they offer to everyone, the
Holy Father said that they, in fact, show how commitment to
sports help "to overcome seemingly insurmountable difficulties."
Pope Francis also remembered the victims of the earthquake that
struck near the town of Montegallo, in central Italy, five years
ago, on 24 August 2016.
The devastating 6.2-magnitude quake resulted in the deaths of
over 250 people and left thousands injured, while causing
terrible damage to buildings and other properties.
"Dear brothers and sisters," the Pope said, "your presence gives
me the opportunity to turn my thoughts to the victims and to the
communities of central Italy, including Accumoli and Amatrice,
who suffered the harsh consequences of that seismic event."
The Holy Father went on to underline the importance of
demonstrating 'rebirth' from the tragedy "without letting
distrust get in the way" and with the concrete help of the
institutions.
"Courage!" the Pope urged, as he invited them to continue to
"move forward with hope."
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
