(Vatican Radio) The destructive force of calumny was the focus of Pope Francis’ homily for Mass celebrated with staff from the Vatican’s telecommunications office and internet services. Emer McCarthy reports:

[powerpress]

The Pope drew inspiration from the daily readings, in particular the first reading that recounts the episode of Stephen, the first martyr of the Church, being dragged before the Sanhedrin because of his witness to the Gospel. Pope Francis noted that Stephen was a victim of calumny. He is accused of “false witness” but it is not a “fair fight, a fight between good men”, noted Pope Francis, because Stephen’s enemies chose the path of a dirty fight, “the path of calumny”. Calumny he continued is worse than sin – it is the direct expression of Satan.

“We are all sinners; all of us. We all commit sins. But calumny is something else. It is of course a sin, too, but it is something more. Calumny aims to destroy the work of God, and calumny comes from a very evil thing: it is born of hatred. And hate is the work of Satan. Calumny destroys the work of God in people, in their souls. Calumny uses lies to get ahead. And let us be in no doubt, eh?: Where there is calumny, there is Satan himself. ”

From the behaviour of the accusers, Pope Francis then turned his attention to the accused. Stephan, he noted, does not return falsehood with falsehood: “He does not want to go that way to save himself. He looks to the Lord and obeys the law”, being in the peace and truth of Christ. And that Pope Francis said “is what happens in the history of the Church”, because from the first martyr until today there have been numerous examples of those who have witnessed to the Gospel with great courage:

“But the age of martyrs is not yet over, even today we can say, in truth, that the Church has more martyrs now than during the first centuries. The Church has many men and women who are maligned through calumny, who are persecuted, who are killed in hatred of Jesus, in hatred of the faith: some are killed because they teach the catechism, others are killed because they wear the cross … Today, in many countries, they are maligned, they are persecuted … they are our brothers and sisters who are suffering today, in this age of the martyrs”.

And again Pope Francis repeated “The age of martyrs is not yet over, the Church has more martyrs now than during the first centuries”. This age of “such great spiritual turmoil” reminded the Pope of an ancient Russian icon that depicts Our Lady covering the people of God with her mantle:

“We pray to Our Lady to protect us, and in times of spiritual turbulence the safest place is under the mantle of Our Lady. She is the mother who takes care of the Church. And in this time of martyrs, she is the protagonist, the protagonist of protection: She is the Mother. (…) Let us state with faith: Mother, the Church is under your protection: Care for the Church. ‘”

Text from page http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/15/pope:_calumny_destroys_the_work_of_god_in_people/en1-682926
of the Vatican Radio website

(Vatican Radio)

“For God so loved the world that gave his only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life”: this was the affirmation at the center of Pope Francis’ homily on Wednesday at Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae with the staff of the Fabric of St. Peter. Cardinals Angelo Sodano and Angelo Comastri concelebrated, and the Italian Interior Minister Anna Maria Cancellieri also attended. 

[powerpress]
“The Lord saves us by His love: not with a letter, nor with a decree, but with his love,” a love so great that it led him to send his Son, who, “became one of us, walked with us,” and this, he said, “saves us.” The Holy Father went on to explain that “salvation” means, “the recovery of that dignity, which we have lost,” the dignity of being children of God.

This is a dignity that grows, said Pope Francis, “until our final encounter with Him,” adding, “this is the way of salvation, and this is beautiful,” he continued, “for [it is a way] that only love can [forge].” The Holy Father went on to say “We are worthy, we are men and women of hope: this is what it means to be saved by love.” The problem, he explained, is that sometimes we want to save ourselves, “and we believe we can do it,” for example basing our security on money – and we think: “I have money, I am secure, [I have it] all, there are no worries, I have dignity: the dignity of a rich person.” “This,” said Pope Francis, “is not enough,” adding, “Think of the parable of the Gospel, of the man who had the full granary, who said, ‘I’ll make another to get more, and then I’ll sleep soundly,’ and the Lord says, ‘You fool! This evening you will die ‘. That salvation is wrong, it is a temporary salvation, it is also apparent salvation.”

The Holy Father went on to say that, at other times, “We think we save ourselves with vanity, with pride,” that, “We believe ourselves powerful …,” and that “We mask our poverty, our sins, with vanity, with pride … Even that ends,” he said, but, “true salvation is in the dignity that God gives back to us in the hope that Christ has given us at Easter. “Let’s make today an act of faith,” said Pope Francis, “[Let us say]: Lord, I believe. I believe in Your love. I believe that Your love has saved me. I believe that Your love has given me the dignity that I had not. I believe that Your love gives me hope.”