Holy Mass of Pope Francis 28 April 2020

The Pope: the Lord give prudence to his people in the face of the pandemic

In the Mass at Santa Marta, Francis prays that the people of God be obedient to the provisions for the end of the quarantine so that the pandemic does not return. In the homily, the Pope invites us not to fall into the small daily lynching of the chatter that causes false judgments on people
VATICAN NEWS

Francis presided over Mass at Casa Santa Marta on the Tuesday of the third week of Easter. In the introduction, think about the behavior of God's people when faced with the end of the quarantine:

In this time, when we begin to have dispositions to get out of quarantine, let us pray to the Lord to give his people, to all of us, the grace of prudence and obedience to dispositions, so that the pandemic does not return.

In the homily, the Pope commented on today's passage from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 7,51-8,1), in which Stephen courageously speaks to the people, the elders and the scribes, who judge him with false testimonies, drag him outside the city and they stone him. They also did the same with Jesus - says the Pope - trying to convince the people that he was a blasphemer. It is a bestiality to start from the false testimonies to "do justice": false news, slanders, which warm the people to "do justice", is a real lynching. So they did with Stefano, using a people who have been deceived. This is how it happens with today's martyrs, like Asia Bibi, for many years in prison, judged by a slander. In the face of the avalanche of false news that creates opinion, sometimes nothing can be done. I think of the Shoah, says the Pope: an opinion has been created against a people to take it out. Then there is the small daily lynching that tries to condemn people, to create a bad reputation, the small daily lynching of the chatter that creates opinions to condemn people. The truth, on the other hand, is clear and transparent, it is the testimony of the truth, of what we believe in. Think of our language: many times with our comments we start such a lynching. Even in our Christian institutions we have seen so many daily lynchings that arose from chatter. Let us pray to the Lord - it is the Pope's final prayer - to help us to be fair in our judgments, not to begin and follow this massive condemnation that causes chatter.

Below is the text of the homily (unofficial transcription of work):

In the first reading of these days we listened to the martyrdom of Stephen: a simple thing, as happened. The doctors of the Law did not tolerate the clarity of the doctrine, and as it came out they went to ask someone who said they had heard that Stephen cursed against God, against the Law. And after this, they came upon him and stoned him: so, simply. It is a structure of action that is not the first: even with Jesus they did the same. The people who were there tried to convince that he was a blasphemer and they shouted: "Crucify him". It's a bestiality. A bestiality, starting from false testimonies to get to "do justice". This is the pattern. Even in the Bible there are cases of this kind: in Susanna they did the same, in Nabot they did the same, then Aman tried to do the same with the people of God ... False news, slanders that warm the people and ask for justice. It's a lynching, a real lynching.

And so, [they] bring it to the judge, for the judge to give legal form to this: but he is already being judged, the judge must be very, very brave to go against such a popular judgment, made to order, prepared. This is the case of Pilate: Pilate clearly saw that Jesus was innocent, but he saw the people, washed their hands. It is a way of doing jurisprudence. Even today we see it, this: even today it is taking place, in some countries, when you want to make a coup or take out some politician so that he does not go to the elections or so, you do this: false news, slander, then it falls into a judge of those who like to create jurisprudence with this "situationist" positivism which is fashionable, and then condemns. It is a social lynching. And so was done to Stephen, so was the judgment of Stephen: they lead to judge one already judged by the deceived people.

This also happens with today's martyrs: that judges have no chance of doing justice because they are already being judged. Think of Asia Bibi, for example, that we have seen: ten years in prison because she has been judged by a slander and a people who want her to die. Faced with this avalanche of false news that creates opinion, many times nothing can be done: nothing can be done.

In this I think a lot about the Shoah. The Shoah is such a case: the opinion was created against a people and then it was normal: "Yes, yes: they must be killed, they must be killed". A way to go about killing people who are harassing, disturbing.

We all know this is not good, but what we don't know is that there is a small daily lynching that tries to condemn people, to create a bad reputation for people, to discard them, to condemn them: the small daily lynching of the chatter that creates an opinion, and many times one hears someone's scream, says: "No, this person is a right person!" - "No, no: it is said that ...", and with that "it is said that" an opinion is created to end it with a person. The truth is another: truth is the testimony of the truth, of the things that a person believes; the truth is clear, it is transparent. Truth does not tolerate pressure. Let's look at Stephen, martyr: first martyr after Jesus. First martyr. Let us think of the apostles: everyone gave testimony. And we think of many martyrs who - even today, St. Peter Chanel - who was the chatter there, to create that he was against the king ... a fame is created, and he must be killed. And we think of us, of our language: many times we, with our comments, start such a lynching. And in our Christian institutions, we have seen so many daily lynchings that arose from chatter.

The Lord help us to be fair in our judgments, not to begin or follow this massive condemnation that causes chatter.

The Pope ended the celebration with Eucharistic adoration and blessing, inviting to make spiritual communion. Below is the prayer recited by the Pope:

At your feet, O my Jesus, I bow down and offer you the repentance of my contrite heart that abysses itself in its nothingness and in your holy presence. I adore you in the sacrament of your love, the ineffable Eucharist. I wish to receive you in the poor abode that my heart offers you; waiting for the happiness of sacramental communion I want to possess you in spirit. Come to me, oh my Jesus, that I come to you. May your love inflame my whole being for life and death. I believe in you, I hope in you, I love you.

Before leaving the chapel dedicated to the Holy Spirit, the Marian antiphon "Regina caeli" was sung, sung during Easter time:

Regína caeli laetáre, alleluia.
Quia quem merúisti portáre, alleluia.
Resurréxit, sicut dixit, alleluia.
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.

(Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
Christ, whom you carried in your womb, hallelujah,
he has risen, as he promised, alleluia.
Pray to the Lord for us, hallelujah).

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