Pope Francis has once again quoted Benedict XVI, who died last December 31 at the age of 95, to affirm that «the Church does not proselytize» but rather «grows by attraction». In this way, he echoed in the General Audience of this Wednesday, January 11, the homily of the Pope Emeritus at the inaugural Mass of the V General Conference of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopate, in Aparecida on May 13, 2007. «Let us not forget this. When you see Christians proselytizing, they are not Christians. They are pagans disguised as Christians,» he added.
The Pope began a new cycle of catechesis dedicated to «apostolic zeal», that is, evangelization, which is a «vital dimension» for the Church. «The community of Jesus’ disciples is born apostolic, missionary, not proselytizing,» he said.
Thus, after explaining how Matthew’s apostolic zeal begins where he lives and with the people he meets, Francis launched a message: «We should not expect to be perfect and to have a long road behind Jesus in order to witness to him; our proclamation begins today, where we live. And it does not begin by trying to convince others, but by witnessing every day to the beauty of the Love that has looked upon us and lifted us up».
The Pontiff again recalled the Pope Emeritus after the catechesis, in his greeting to the Polish pilgrims. «In recent days we have given thanks to God for the person, teaching and example of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. His faith stimulates you in spiritual growth, based on the truth of the Gospel and fraternal love, witnessed in the family, at work and in social life,» he said.
Shortly before, in his greeting to the German-speaking faithful, he asked, as Pope Benedict XVI taught, to look to Jesus Christ with confidence. «In this way we can experience, like the Apostle Matthew, the love and mercy of the Lord,» he stressed.
GEORG GÄNSWEIN’S BOOK TO BE PUBLISHED TOMORROW The Pope presided over the funeral of Benedict XVI on January 5, which marked the end of an unusual period in the Catholic Church when two pontiffs lived side by side. At the same time, the Pope Emeritus’ personal secretary, Georg Gänswein, will publish this Thursday, January 12, a book entitled ‘Nothing but the truth, my life at the side of Benedict XVI’, in which he makes revelations about this period, such as that Joseph Ratzinger felt «pain in his heart» when Francis limited the Mass in Latin, revelations that have caused perplexity in the Curia, according to the Italian press.
Also a priest from Bergamo (Italy), Alberto Varinelli, wrote an open letter in which he asks him to stop the publication of his book because he considers that the content «humiliates» Pope Francis, will serve to «attack» him and «will damage the unity of the Church».
In the book, whose content was advanced last Thursday by Europa Press, Gänswein also confesses that he was «shocked» when Francis instructed him to put aside his occupations as prefect of the Pontifical Household to devote himself to taking care of Benedict XVI in 2020. He also tells in the book that he received precise instructions from Benedict XVI to destroy all his private documents of all kinds «without exception».
The Pope met last Monday with Gänswein, as it appeared in his public agenda, although the content of this meeting has not transcended.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
