The Angelus of Pope Francis "closeness, compassion and tenderness of God"

Pope Francis on Sunday urged people to remember God's closeness, compassion and tenderness. Speaking before the midday Angelus on February 14, the pope reflected on the day's Gospel reading (Mark 1: 40-45), in which Jesus heals a man with leprosy. Noting that Christ broke a taboo by reaching out and touching the man, he said: “He came near… Closeness. Compassion. The Gospel says that Jesus, seeing the leper, was moved by compassion, tenderness. Three words that indicate God's style: closeness, compassion, tenderness “. The pope said that by healing the man who was considered "impure", Jesus fulfilled the Good News he had announced. "God approaches our life, is moved with compassion for the fate of wounded humanity and comes to break down every barrier that prevents us from being in relationship with him, with others and with ourselves," he said. The pope suggested that the leper's encounter with Jesus contained two "transgressions": the man's decision to draw near to Jesus and that of Christ who joins him. "His illness was considered a divine punishment, but, in Jesus, he manages to see another aspect of God: not the God who punishes, but the Father of compassion and love who frees us from sin and never excludes us from his mercy, ”He said.

The pope praised "the good confessors who do not have a whip in their hand, but welcome, listen and say that God is good and that God always forgives, that God never tires of forgiving". He then asked the pilgrims gathered under his window in St. Peter's Square to offer an applause to the merciful confessors. He continued to reflect on what he called Jesus' "transgression" in healing the sick. “Someone would have said: he has sinned. He did something that the law forbids. He is a transgressor. It's true: he is a transgressor. It is not limited to words but touches it. Touching with love means establishing a relationship, entering into communion, getting involved in another person's life to the point of sharing their wounds, ”he said. “With that gesture, Jesus reveals that God, who is not indifferent, does not keep 'at a safe distance'. Rather, it approaches out of compassion and touches our life to heal it with tenderness. It is God's style: closeness, compassion and tenderness. God's transgression. He's a great transgressor in that sense. He recalled that even today people are shunned because they suffer from Hansen's disease, or leprosy, as well as other conditions. He then referred to the sinful woman who was criticized for pouring a vase of expensive perfume on Jesus' feet (Luke 7: 36-50). He warned Catholics against pre-judging those deemed sinners. He said: "Each of us could experience wounds, failures, sufferings, selfishness that make us shut out of God and others because sin closes us in ourselves because of shame, because of humiliation, but God wants to open the our heart. "

"Faced with all this, Jesus announces to us that God is not an abstract idea or doctrine, but God is the One who 'contaminates' himself with our human wound and is not afraid to come into contact with our wounds". He continued: “'But, father, what are you saying? What God defiles himself? I'm not saying this, St Paul said: he made himself sin. He who was not a sinner, who could not sin, has made himself sin. See how God defiled himself to draw near to us, to have compassion and to make us understand his tenderness. Closeness, compassion and tenderness. "He suggested that we can overcome our temptation to avoid the suffering of others by asking God for the grace to live the two" transgressions "described in the Gospel reading of the day. “That of the leper, so that we have the courage to come out of our isolation and, instead of staying still and feeling sorry or crying for our faults, complaining, and instead of this, we go to Jesus just as we are; "Jesus, I'm like that." We will feel that embrace, that embrace of Jesus that is so beautiful, ”he said.

“And then the transgression of Jesus, a love that goes beyond conventions, that overcomes prejudices and the fear of getting involved with the lives of others. We learn to be transgressors like these two: like the leper and like Jesus “. Speaking after the Angelus, Pope Francis thanked those who take care of the migrants. He said he joined the bishops of Colombia in thanking the government for granting protected status - via a statute of temporary protection - to nearly a million people who fled neighboring Venezuela. He said: “It is not a super rich and developed country that is doing this… No: this is being done by a country that has many problems of development, poverty and peace… Almost 70 years of guerrilla warfare. But with this problem, they had the courage to look at those migrants and create this statute. Thanks to Columbia. ”The pope noted that February 14 is the feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, the co-patrons of Europe who evangelized the Slavs in the XNUMXth century.

“May their intercession help us find new ways to communicate the Gospel. These two were not afraid to find new ways to communicate the gospel. And through their intercession, may Christian churches grow in their desire to walk towards full unity while respecting differences, ”he said. Pope Francis also noted that February 14 is Valentine's Day. “And today, Valentine's Day, I cannot fail to address a thought and a greeting to the engaged, to the lovers. I accompany you with my prayers and I bless you all, ”he said. He then thanked the pilgrims for coming to St. Peter's Square for the Angelus, pointing out groups from France, Mexico, Spain and Poland. “Let's start Lent next Wednesday. It will be a good time to give a sense of faith and hope to the crisis we are experiencing, ”he said. “And first, I don't want to forget: the three words that help us understand God's style. Don't forget: closeness, compassion, tenderness. "