Are the Commandments more important than the Faith? The answer from Pope Francis arrives

"The Covenant with God is based on faith and not on the law". He said it Papa Francesco during this morning's general audience, in the Paul VI Hall, continuing the cycle of catechesis on the Letter to the Galatians of the Apostle Paul.

The Pontiff's meditation is centered on the theme of Law of Moses: “It - the Pope explained - was related to the Covenant that God had established with his people. According to various texts of the Old Testament, the Torah - the Hebrew term with which the Law is indicated - is the collection of all those prescriptions and norms that the Israelites must observe, by virtue of the Covenant with God ”.

Observance of the Law, Bergoglio continued, "guaranteed the people the benefits of the Covenant and the special bond with God". But Jesus comes to subvert all this.

This is why the Pope wanted to ask himself "Why the Law?“, Also providing the answer:“ To recognize the newness of Christian life animated by the Holy Spirit ”.

News that "those missionaries who had infiltrated the Galatians" tried to deny, arguing that "joining the Covenant also entailed the observance of the Mosaic Law. However, precisely on this point we can discover the spiritual intelligence of Saint Paul and the great insights he expressed, supported by the grace received for his evangelizing mission ”.

At the Galatians, Saint Paul presents, Francis concluded, "the radical novelty of Christian life: all those who have faith in Jesus Christ are called to live in the Holy Spirit, who frees us from the Law and at the same time brings it to fulfillment according to the commandment of love".