Catholics must not be afraid of change, Pope Francis has said in a landmark new document. However, the Pontiff also warns that people need to discern whether new thinking is from God or “an illusion created by the spirit of this world or the spirit of the devil”.
In a new apostolic exhortation ‘Rejoice and be glad’ on the call the holiness in the midst of the world, the Pope insists that sometimes “the forces of evil induce us not to change, to leave things as they are, to opt for a rigid resistance to change.
“Yet that would be to block the working of the Spirit,” he writes. He also writes that rather than sitting behind desks, priests have to be “passionate missionaries enthusiastic about sharing true life”.
Pope Francis also warns Christians not to fall into the trap of regarding the devil as a mythical figure, or symbolic of something else.
The Pontiff also says that the Church has to work hard to help young people overcome what he describes as a “culture of zapping”.
“The gift of discernment has become all the more necessary today, since contemporary life offers immense possibilities for action and distraction, and the world presents all of them as valid and good.
“All of us, but especially the young, are immersed in a culture of zapping. We can navigate simultaneously on two or more screens and interact at the same time with two or three virtual scenarios.
“Without the wisdom of discernment, we can easily become prey to every passing trend,” the Pontiff warns.
He describes as a “subtle form of violence” Catholics who look down on others like “heartless judges, lording it over them and always trying to teach them lessons.”
As well as the canonised saints, Francis also encourages believers to draw inspiration from ordinary people. “These witnesses may include our own mothers, grandmothers or other loved ones…their lives may not always have been perfect, yet even amid their faults and failings they kept moving forward and proved pleasing to the Lord,” he writes.
The Pontiff insists that the call to holiness is for everyone. “To be holy does not require being a bishop, a priest or a religious. We are frequently tempted to think that holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs to spend much time in prayer. That is not the case. We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves.
“Are you called to the consecrated life? Be holy by living out your commitment with joy. Are you married? Be holy by loving and caring for your husband or wife, as Christ does for the Church. Do you work for a living? Be holy by labouring with integrity and skill in the service of your brothers and sisters.
“Are you a parent or grandparent? Be holy by patiently teaching the little ones how to follow Jesus. Are you in a position of authority? Be holy by working for the common good and renouncing personal gain,” Francis writes.
On the presence of evil in the world, a theme the Pope has constantly touched upon, Francis writes that “the Christian life is a constant battle. We need strength and courage to withstand the temptations of the devil and to proclaim the Gospel.
“We are not dealing merely with a battle against the world and a worldly mentality that would deceive us and leave us dull and mediocre, lacking in enthusiasm and joy…it is also a constant struggle against the devil, the prince of evil,’ he says.
He also cautions against thinking that the devil is not real. “We should not think of the devil as a myth, a representation, a symbol, a figure of speech or an idea.
“This mistake would lead us to let down our guard, to grow careless and end up more vulnerable. The devil does not need to possess us. He poisons us with the venom of hatred, desolation, envy and vice. When we let down our guard, he takes advantage of it to destroy our lives, our families and our communities, Pope Francis writes in the 44-page document.
On the role of clergy, the Pope writes that “we are inspired to act by the example of all those priests, religious, and laity who devote themselves to proclamation and to serving others with great fidelity, often at the risk of their lives and certainly at the cost of their comfort.
“Their testimony reminds us that, more than bureaucrats and functionaries, the Church needs passionate missionaries, enthusiastic about sharing true life.
The Pope warns that too often “the life of the Church can become a museum piece or the possession of a select few.
“This can occur when some groups of Christians give excessive importance to certain rules, customs or ways of acting. The Gospel then tends to be reduced and constricted, deprived of its simplicity, allure and savour,” he insists.
“The saints surprise us, they confound us, because by their lives they urge us to abandon a dull and dreary mediocrity,” he writes.
Towards the end of the document, which the Pope signed on March 19 the feastday of St Joseph and the fifth anniversary of his inauguration as Pontiff – “it is my hope that these pages will prove helpful by enabling the whole Church to devote herself anew to promoting the desire for holiness”.