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25 August 2021 Pope Francis today in General Audience touched on the themes of hypocrisy inside and outside the Church. And the cycle of catechesis on the Apostle Paul's Letter to the Galatians continues, focusing his meditation on the theme: "The dangers of the law hypocrites".
"What is hypocrisy?" Asked the Pope. "It can be said that it is fear for the truth". "The hypocrite is afraid of the truth. One prefers to pretend rather than be oneself. It's like putting on makeup on your soul, doing makeup on your behaviors: it's not the truth. And fiction prevents the courage to speak the truth openly and so you it easily removes the obligation to always say it, to be truthful, to say it everywhere and in spite of everything ", the Pontiff explained.
And again "Hypocrisy in the Church is particularly detestable - Francis said - Unfortunately there is hypocrisy in the Church and there are many Christians and many ministers". "We should never forget the words of the Lord: 'Let your speech be yes yes, no no, the more comes from the evil one' (Mt 5:37). Words that make us reflect and much.
" To act otherwise means to jeopardize the unity in the Church, that for which the Lord himself prayed ", underlined the Pontiff.
"Fiction leads to this, to half-truths, to untrue behavior. In an environment where interpersonal relationships are lived under the banner of formalism, the virus of hypocrisy spreads easily", the Pontiff warned. Reflecting, in his commentary on Saint Paul, on the relationship between law and freedom, Francis explained that "the observance of the law by Christians led to this hypocritical behavior, which the apostle intends to fight with strength and conviction".
And "the Gospels also report various situations in which Jesus strongly reproaches those who appear righteous on the outside, but on the inside are full of falsehood and iniquity". "The hypocrite is a person who pretends, flatters and deceives because he lives with a mask on his face, and does not have the courage to confront the truth - he continued. For this reason, he is not capable of truly loving: he limits himself to live of selfishness and does not have the strength to show his heart transparently ".
According to the pontiff, "there are many situations in which hypocrisy can occur. Often he hides in the workplace, where he tries to appear friends with colleagues while competition leads to hitting them from behind. In politics it is not unusual to find hypocrites who experience a split between the public and the private ". But what is "particularly detestable", he added, is "the hypocrisy in the Church".
The 2016 earthquake
At the end of the general audience he dedicated words to the faithful from Montegallo (Ascoli Piceno), "who on August 24, 5 years ago were hit by the earthquake", Pope Francis affirmed: "dear brothers and sisters, your presence in me it offers an opportunity to turn my thoughts to the victims and communities of central Italy, including Accumoli and Amatrice, who suffered the harsh consequences of that earthquake ". "With the concrete help of the institutions, it is necessary to give proof of" rebirth "without letting oneself be disheartened by mistrust, added the pontiff. I urge everyone to go forward with hope. Courage!".
Paralympics, athletes witnesses of hope and courage
"Yesterday in Tokyo the Paralympics started. I send my greetings to the athletes and I thank them for offering everyone a testimony of hope and courage". "In fact, they show how sporting commitment helps to overcome seemingly insurmountable difficulties".