The church is not a prop for one’s ego, a soapbox for ideas or a suit of armor protecting a sad life, Pope Francis said in an interview published in the Nov. 18 edition of Avvenire, an Italian Catholic newspaper. “The church exists only as an instrument for communicating God’s merciful plan to the people.” While most of the lengthy interview’s questions touched on ecumenism and the meaning of the Year of Mercy, the pope’s responses revealed his vision of the church and the “bad spirit” or psychological defects that foster division. He said some reactions to his apostolic exhortation, “The Joy of Love,” continue to reflect a lack of understanding about how the Holy Spirit has been working in the church since the Second Vatican Council.
‘Bad Spirit’ in the Church?
Photo: Catholic News Service
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
Pope Francis has condemned surrogacy as a form of “false compassion.” Now, in Italy, engaging in surrogacy in another country, even where it may be legal, will be a criminal offense for Italian citizens.
In an exclusive interview with Gerard O’Connell, Cardinal Cupich says young Catholics will look back at the synod as “one of the most historic moments in their lives, for it has redirected the focus of where the church is going.”
‘Lolita’ may have been canceled, but Vladimir Nabokov remains the godfather of modern prose.
Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election will hang over the annual fall meeting of the U.S. Catholic bishops.