Pope Francis: 'Christian charity is not simple philanthropy'

Christian charity is more than just philanthropy, Pope Francis said in his Sunday Angelus address.

Speaking from a window overlooking St. Peter's Square on August 23, the pope said: "Christian charity is not simple philanthropy but, on the one hand, is looking at others through the eyes of Jesus himself and, on the other, see Jesus in front of the poor “.

In his speech, the pope reflected on the Gospel reading of the day (Matthew 16: 13-20), in which Peter professes his faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God.

"The Apostle's confession is provoked by Jesus himself, who wants to lead his disciples to take the decisive step in their relationship with him. In fact, Jesus' entire journey with those who follow him, especially the Twelve, is to educate their faith, ”he said, according to an unofficial English translation provided by the Holy See press office.

The pope said that Jesus asked two questions to educate the disciples: "Who do people say that the Son of man is?" (v. 13) and "Who do you say I am?" (v. 15).

The pope suggested that, in response to the first question, the apostles seemed to compete in reporting differing views, perhaps sharing the view that Jesus of Nazareth was essentially a prophet.

When Jesus asked them the second question, it seemed that there was "a moment of silence", the pope said, "since each of those present is called to get involved, manifesting the reason why they follow Jesus".

He continued: “Simon gets them out of trouble by openly declaring: 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God' (v. 16). This response, so complete and enlightening, does not come from an impulse of his, however generous - Peter was generous - but rather is the fruit of a particular grace from the heavenly Father. In fact, Jesus himself says: "This has not been revealed to you in flesh and blood" - that is, from the culture, what you have studied, no, this has not been revealed to you. It has been revealed to you "by my Father who is in heaven" (v. 17) ".

“Confessing Jesus is a grace of the Father. To say that Jesus is the Son of the living God, who is the Redeemer, is a grace that we must ask: 'Father, give me the grace to confess Jesus' ".

The pope noted that Jesus answered Simon by declaring: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it" (v. 18).

He said: “With this statement, Jesus makes Simon aware of the meaning of the new name he gave him, 'Peter': the faith he has just shown is the unshakable 'rock' on which the Son of God wants to build his Church, that is community “.

"And the Church always goes forward on the basis of Peter's faith, that faith which Jesus recognizes [in Peter] and which makes him the head of the Church."

The pope said that in today's Gospel reading we hear Jesus ask the same question to each of us: "And you, who do you say I am?"

We must respond not with "a theoretical answer, but one that involves faith", he explained, listening to "the voice of the Father and his consonance with what the Church, gathered around Peter, continues to proclaim".

He added: "It is a question of understanding who Christ is for us: if he is the center of our life, if he is the goal of our commitment in the Church, our commitment in society".

He then offered a note of caution.

“But be careful”, he said, “it is indispensable and commendable that the pastoral care of our communities be open to many forms of poverty and crisis, which are everywhere. Charity is always the high road of the journey of faith, of the perfection of faith. But it is necessary that the works of solidarity, the works of charity that we carry out, do not distract us from contact with the Lord Jesus ”.

After reciting the Angelus, the pope noted that August 22 was the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Acts of Violence based on religion or belief, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2019.

He said: "Let us pray for these, our brothers and sisters, and we also support those with our prayer and solidarity, and there are many who are persecuted today because of their faith and religion".

The pope noted that August 24 marks the 10th anniversary of the massacre of 72 migrants by a drug cartel in the municipality of San Fernando, in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.

“They were people from various countries looking for a better life. I express my solidarity with the families of the victims who still today ask for truth and justice on the facts. The Lord will keep us accountable for all the migrants who have fallen on their journey of hope. They were victims of the throwaway culture, ”he said.

The pope also recalled that August 24 is the fourth anniversary of an earthquake that hit central Italy, killing 299 people.

He said: "I renew my prayers for the families and communities that have suffered the greatest devastation so that they can go forward in solidarity and hope, and I hope that the reconstruction can accelerate so that people can return to live peacefully in this beautiful territory. . of the Apennine Hills. "

He expressed his solidarity with the Catholics of Cabo Delgado, the northernmost province of Mozambique, which has suffered intense violence at the hands of Islamists.

The pope made a surprise telephone call last week to the local bishop, Msgr. Luiz Fernando Lisboa of Pemba, who spoke of the attacks that caused the displacement of over 200 people.

Pope Francis then greeted the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square, both those from Rome and from other parts of Italy. Pilgrims stayed spaced to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

He spotted a group of young pilgrims dressed in yellow T-shirts from the parish of Cernusco sul Naviglio, in northern Italy. He congratulated them on cycling from Siena to Rome along the ancient pilgrimage route of the Via Francigena.

The pope also greeted the families of Carobbio degli Angeli, a municipality in the province of Bergamo in northern Lombardy, who had made a pilgrimage to Rome in memory of the victims of the coronavirus.

Lombardy was one of the epicenters of the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy, which claimed 35.430 lives as of August 23, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

The pope urged people not to forget the people affected by the pandemic.

“This morning I heard the testimony of a family who lost their grandparents without being about to say goodbye on the same day. So much suffering, so many people who have lost their lives, victims of this disease; and many volunteers, doctors, nurses, nuns, priests, who have also lost their lives. We remember the families who have suffered because of this, ”he said.

Concluding his reflection on the Angelus, Pope Francis prayed: "May Mary Most Holy, blessed because she believed, may be our guide and model on the journey of faith in Christ, and make us aware that trust in him gives full meaning to our charity and to all our existence. "